Hong Chang-ki of the LG Twins celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Samsung Lions during a Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, in this file photo from April 16, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 20 (Korea Bizwire) — The first-place team in South Korean baseball will be without their leadoff man and starting right fielder for the rest of the regular season with a knee injury.
The LG Twins, currently leading the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), announced Tuesday their All-Star outfielder Hong Chang-ki has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will be out for four to five months after undergoing surgery Thursday.
With the regular season expected to end either late September or early October, to be followed by the postseason, Hong will not likely play again this regular season.
Hong hurt his knee in a collision with first baseman Kim Min-su when they were both chasing a foul fly during a game against the Kiwoom Heroes last Tuesday. The initial diagnosis showed a partial fracture in Hong’s left knee, which the Twins said wouldn’t have required surgery, but further tests done earlier Tuesday showed the ligament damage.
Hong’s absence is a big blow to the Twins as they chase their second Korean Series title in three years. As one of the KBO’s top leadoff men, Hong led the league in on-base percentage and walks in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Hong is also a sound defender who has won the first two editions of the KBO Fielding Award in right field in 2023 and 2024.
A career .313 hitter entering this season, Hong was only batting .269 in 38 games this season before getting hurt.
The Twins began the new week in first place with a record of 30-16-0 (wins-losses-ties), two games ahead of the Lotte Giants and the Hanwha Eagles.
(Yonhap)
