KT without Kang Baek-ho is no stranger to ‘replacements’ Kim Min-hyuk and Moon Sang-chul

KT Wiz’s Kang Baek-ho.

The KT Wiz will be playing the postseason without their signature hitter Kang Baek-ho (24). However, a lineup without Kang Baek-ho is not unfamiliar this season. Kim Min-hyuk and Moon Sang-chul, who can provide a little help at the plate, are expected to replace Kang as the designated hitter.

KT will face the NC Dinos in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO postseason playoffs (best-of-five series), which begin on April 30.

After being the first of the 10 teams to finish their regular season schedule, KT had nearly three weeks to rest and wait for the playoffs. Kang Baek-ho was injured.

On April 26, Kang Baek-ho was batting against his former club at Katie Wiz Park in Suwon when he felt pain in his right side and had to leave the game.

Upon further examination, it was confirmed that he had damaged his right adductor muscle, and he will need more than three weeks to recover. This makes it difficult for him to play in the playoffs, or even if KT advances to the Korean Series.

Kang Baek-ho has been struggling a bit this season after last season, but he’s still very much a presence. He’s always been a solid hitter, especially in big games, and he’s coming off a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, so expectations were high. It’s a shame, of course.

In any case, KT will have to play without Kang Baek-ho, something that has happened a lot this season, both unfortunately and fortunately. Kang Baek-ho missed more than half of the regular season.

Kang Baek-ho has been struggling with various things this season and was sent down to the second team in early June. He briefly made it to the first team in July, but it lasted less than a month before he was sent back to the second team and didn’t return until September. He was physically and mentally exhausted and couldn’t even play in the second team during his time off.

Ironically, KT was on the rise during Kang’s absence. In the three-month period from June to August, the team went 47-18 (.723) and climbed from last place to second place.

With Baek-ho Kang at the plate, the team would have had a stronger showing, but even without him, it’s not a “catastrophic loss” for the season.

Kim Min-hyuk and Moon Sang-chul are likely to fill in as the designated hitter. 19가이드03