As the 2024 KBO season progresses, here is a look at the top news and notes from the past week in Korea’s highest level of professional baseball.
A Frightening Injury for KIA Tigers
KIA Tigers starting pitcher James Naile was struck in the face on a line drive by Matt Davidson of the NC Dinos on Saturday, breaking his jaw in the process. Naile left the game in the sixth inning.
According to the team, Naile, a former St. Louis Cardinal in his first season in the KBO in 2024, underwent surgery on his fractured jaw Sunday morning. Naile was one of the best starting pitchers in the Tigers’ rotation this season, going 12-5 with a 2.53 ERA and 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Tigers announced no timetable for Naile’s return to the field as they seek their 12th Korean Series title in franchise history and the first since 2017. If Naile cannot take the mound, that quest becomes more difficult.
Former LG Twin Returns to MLB
The Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of former KBO pitcher Casey Kelly on Saturday. The 34-year-old returned to an MLB mound for the first time on Saturday after making his last appearance in 2018 with the San Francisco Giants.
In Saturday’s 10-2 win against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kelly threw three scoreless innings and struck out two. He played six seasons in the KBO with the LG Twins from 2018-2024. The club released him in late July after he posted a lackluster 4.51 ERA with just 69 strikeouts in 19 starts (113.2 innings).
Kelly led the KBO with 16 wins in 2022 and helped the Twins defeat the KT Wiz four games to one in the 2023 Korean Series. He was named a KBO All-Star in 2022 and posted a 2.54 ERA in 27 games.
Office Depot Transforms to KBO Store
What was once an Office Depot in Sinsa Nonhyeon in the Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea, is now an official Korea Baseball Organization apparel store.
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the store opened this past Friday and sells jerseys, hats, pennants, and many more items for all 10 KBO teams. Before the All-Star Game, Office Depot opened a “KBO Zone” in July. The new addition to the store did so well that the outlet will now sell merchandise throughout the year.
Korea JoongAng Daily reports that the store’s official opening ceremony will take place in September to “promote joint marketing.” In a press release by the KBO on Thursday, the league said it wants to work with Office Depot to make the store “a center of lifestyle enjoyed anytime, anywhere.”
This Day in Korean Baseball History
On August 26, 2016, the Doosan Bears scored eight first-inning runs in an 11-4 win against the Lotte Giants.
The Bears tallied seven hits in the first inning, including a three-run double from shortstop Kim Jae-ho, who had four RBI in the contest. Starting pitcher Dustin Nippert threw 110 pitches in six innings for the Bears, striking out four in the process.
The Bears finished 2016 93-50-1, the best record in the KBO. They swept the NC Dinos in four games in the Korean Series, the fifth championship in the organization’s history.
KBO Standings as of Monday, August 26
Watch KBO games using the global streaming platform SOOP.
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WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
Photo Credit: Pitcher Kelly Casey #3 of LG Twins reacts after top of third inning during the Korean Series Game Five between LG Twins and KT Wiz at Jamsil Stadium on November 13, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
