Kia’s newest fixer, who was on pace for his first 100 RBIs last year, is making a comeback in the second team.

KIA’s Hwang Dae-in (27) is finally back in action. KIA head coach Kim Jong-kook announced Hwang Dae-in’s participation in the Futures League ahead of the team’s game against Lotte in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on Monday.

Hwang Dae-in hasn’t played in a first-team match since July 7 against Suwon KT. This was due to a hamstring injury.

Coach Kim Jong-guk said, “Hwang Dae-in will join the Future team and play from today (28th). He’s been working on his skills a little bit since before.” Hwang Dae-in will start the Futures League game against Lotte at Hampyeong-Kia Challengers Field as the No. 4 hitter and first baseman.

But when will Hwang Dae-in return to the first team? Manager Kim Jong-kook is gesturing cautiously. “I think he needs to play a lot of games first,” said Kim Jong-kook. “If he is called up early, there is a chance that the injury will recur, so he needs to play steadily in the Futures League and check his condition.” The first and second priority is injury prevention.

Hwang hit .238 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs in 86 games in 2021, marking his first career double-digit home run season, and last year he was the “fixer”, hitting .256 with 14 home runs and 91 RBIs in 129 games, the most in his professional career. He was on pace to reach 100 RBIs for the first time in his career.안전놀이터

After a breakout season last year, Hwang’s production dropped off this year, as he hit just .243 with three home runs and 22 RBIs in 42 games. Couple that with a hamstring injury and you have a recipe for disaster.

That doesn’t mean Hwang’s 2023 season is over. He has started his comeback with a stint in the Futures League. KIA now has Choi Won-jun as its starting first baseman and a rotation of players at designated hitter. If Hwang Dae-in is able to regain his fixer-upper instincts and return to the first team, the KIA batting lineup will be even more potent.

Meanwhile, KIA also added catcher Han Seung-taek to the Future Team today. Han will not start today’s Futures League game against Lotte, but will be waiting on the bench.