KT right-handed pitcher Kim Min-soo (31), who has been rehabbing from a shoulder injury, is effectively out for the season.

Kim suffered a fracture in his left ankle (outer peach bone) during a training session at the KT Futures (second team) stadium in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do on April 10. “Kim Min-soo successfully underwent surgery at an orthopedic clinic in Seoul on Thursday and is expected to take more than three months to return,” the KT club said on Saturday.

A former Sungkyunkwan University student, Kim joined KT with the 11th overall pick in the second round of the 2015 rookie draft. He started out as a reliever but was converted to a starter during the 2019 season, where he distinguished himself with an 8-5 record, two saves and a 4.96 ERA to earn a spot on the first team.

The following year, he struggled, going 3-8 with a 6.10 ERA in 33 games, and moved back to the bullpen. In 2020, he went 4-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 56 games and 11 holds, establishing himself as an integral part of the bullpen with double-digit holds.

Kim Min-soo emerged as the ace of the bullpen last year with 30 saves. In 76 games (80⅔ innings), he went 5-4 with 30 saves and a 1.90 ERA. Along with Park Young-hyun and Kim Jae-yoon, he helped lead the team to a fourth-place finish in the regular season.

However, his performance this season was somewhat disappointing. In 14 games, he has no wins or saves and is 1-3 with a 6.92 ERA. Last month, he injured his shoulder in a relief appearance against Samsung Electronics on March 23 and was removed from the first team.스포츠토토

However, this time, he injured something other than his shoulder, making it difficult for him to return to the first team. “Kim Min-soo suffered a broken ankle while running,” KT manager Lee Kang-cheol said in an interview before the team’s 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League game against Doosan at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Saturday.

Kim’s injury is a major blow to the KT mound. Young-hyun Park, who leads the league in holds (23), has a heavier load on his shoulders. In addition, Park will be competing at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou next month, and it will be interesting to see who will guard KT’s back door during that time.