The “Gulbiz,” Samsung’s future and present, have reunited. Kim Ji-chan (22), the “eldest brother,” is back and reunited with Kim Hyun-joon (21) and Lee Jae-hyun (20).
Kim returned to the first-team roster on March 3 against Daejeon Hanwha. Ten days after being removed from the first team roster on March 24 due to discomfort in his left hamstring, Kim batted ninth and started at second base, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored in Samsung’s 7-2 win.
After singling to left field in his first at-bat against Hanwha starter Felix Peña in the third inning, Kim doubled to right field with two outs in the fifth. In the top of the eighth, he drew a full count against veteran left-hander Jung Woo-ram and singled to right, setting the stage for a four-run big inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kim Ki-jung walked to load the bases. A three-run game with a multi-hit game. Despite his relatively short absence, he quickly found his groove at the plate and was active at second base and on the basepaths.
After the game, Kim said, “It’s always good to win. I was down for a while, so it’s even better to win on my first day back. “I didn’t go down because my hamstring was really sore (when I left the lineup). I thought it would be fine after a day of rest, but as I thought, it wasn’t a big problem. He always pays a lot of attention to me in training.”
Kim Ji-chan was sent home early at the end of spring camp due to hamstring pain. He was removed from the roster as a precaution to prevent a recurrence, but he didn’t feel comfortable going down. It was disappointing to see the Gulbees split up again after only four games together.
The Gulbees were unable to celebrate the start of the season together as Kim Hyun-jun rehabilitated from surgery on the metacarpal bone in his right hand in late March. The Gulbiz was revitalized when Kim Hyun-jun was called up to the first team on the 19th of last month, but after only four games, the team split up again due to Kim Ji-chan’s departure. “Soon after Hyun-joon came, I was dropped, and I even thought, ‘Why can’t the three of us stick together?'” Kim Ji-chan confessed.
While he was happy to see the Gulbiz reunite after 11 days, Kim Ji-chan’s expression was darkened by the injury of his senior, Koo Ja-rook. In the eighth inning, Koo strained his right hamstring while sprinting to catch Moon Hyun-bin’s fly ball in right foul territory. He collapsed, clutching his thigh in pain, and was taken off on a stretcher. With a suspected muscle strain, he will be removed from the roster on Thursday and will undergo a full examination on Friday.
Kim Ji-chan didn’t see the moment Guzauk collapsed. The first baseman, second baseman, and right fielder all rushed to the plate, but Kim calmly caught Moon Hyun-bin’s foul fly ball. By the time Kim looked back after making the out, Koo had already fallen down while running.먹튀검증
“I didn’t see him get hurt because I was making the call and catching the ball. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but after I caught it, he fell down. I was worried because he couldn’t walk properly. He shouldn’t have gotten hurt too badly…” he said, trailing off. Despite the team’s victory in the comeback game with a three-run homer, the injury to Koo was not something Kim could smile about.
