SSG’s Kim Gwang-hyeon to Have Shoulder Surgery; Rehab Expected to Take 6+ Months

SSG Landers left-hander Kim Gwang-hyeon will undergo shoulder surgery.

SSG said March 22 that Kim was diagnosed with a bone spur in the back of his left shoulder and will have surgery at a hospital in Nagoya, Japan, later this month. The club said rehabilitation is expected to take more than six months and that it will fully support Kim so he can focus on recovery.

In a post on social media, Kim said he decided on surgery after “a lot of 고민.” He wrote that he understands shoulder surgery can be “devastating” for a baseball player, but said he hopes it will allow him to return healthier and stay on the mound “even one year longer.” He apologized to fans and teammates for being sidelined by injury.

Kim felt shoulder pain during training at SSG’s spring camp in the United States on Feb. 15 and returned to South Korea. Tests found a bone spur in the back of his left shoulder, a condition in which repeated pitching causes bone to grow and irritate surrounding areas.

To avoid surgery, Kim began a customized rehabilitation program in Japan on March 9, but it was ultimately determined that rehab alone would not resolve the injury.

The surgery poses a major threat to Kim’s career, as shoulder operations are considered especially risky for pitchers. Given that Kim was born in 1988, there are concerns his recovery could be slow and that he could miss the entire season.

Kim, who debuted in 2007, has a 180-108 record with two holds and a 3.43 ERA in 415 KBO League games. He has pitched 2,321 2/3 innings with 2,020 strikeouts and ranks third on the league’s career wins list.



* This article has been translated by AI.

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