35 Saves Title Secured, One Day Before Playoffs… Kim Jae-yoon Injured, Right Serratus Anterior Damage Requires 2 Weeks of Rest

Samsung closer Kim Jae-yoon was diagnosed with right serratus anterior damage that requires about 2 weeks of rest. The regular-season saves champion with 35 saves has been ruled out one day before the KIA playoff Game 1.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

The regular-season saves leader was removed from the lineup one day before the postseason's first game. Kim Jae-yoon (36) won the saves title this year, with 35 saves in his 12th year since debut, a first for him. The MRI results released by Samsung on October 24 showed right serratus anterior damage. Two days passed between when he first felt discomfort and the report that he was left off the playoff roster.

There is one key question: who will Samsung entrust the 9th inning to in the short playoff series without the closer who handled 64 games? According to the KBO announcement, the playoff against the KIA Tigers begins October 25, and Game 1 is scheduled for 14:00.

Kim Jae-yoon injury: right serratus anterior, Grade 1, about 2 weeks of rest

Newsis reported that Samsung said, "Kim underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, which confirmed muscle and fascia damage in the right serratus anterior." The serratus anterior is a muscle running from the side of the ribs to the shoulder blade, and it pulls the shoulder blade forward when throwing a ball. A team official described it as a Grade 1 injury accompanied by fascial bleeding.

The timeline began two days earlier. OSEN reported that Kim felt discomfort while preparing for an intra-squad evaluation game on October 22. Edaily reported that a team official explained, "about two weeks of rest is needed," the official said. This period is only a recommended rest, not a confirmed return date. Only one day remains before the first game.

Outlets differ in how strongly they describe Kim's availability. Newsis wrote that it is a situation in which even a playoff appearance is difficult, while OSEN and Edaily reported that he was excluded from the roster. All three articles are dated October 24. We could not find the original text of the final KBO roster during this verification, so registration status should be checked against the official announcement.

Saves leader with 35, 4 ahead of second place, leaving the 9th inning open

2026 KBO Regular Season Saves Final Standings (as of 2026.10.24, KBO official records)

Rank	Player	Team	Saves
1	Kim Jae-yoon	Samsung	35
2	Son Ju-young	LG	31
3	Park Young-hyun	KT	30
4	Lee Young-ha	Doosan	26
5	Jo Byung-hyun	SSG	24

Kim Jae-yoon finished 4 saves ahead of second-place LG's Son Ju-young (31 saves) and 5 ahead of third-place KT's Park Young-hyun (30 saves). His regular-season record was 7 wins and 5 losses over 64 appearances, with a 3.22 ERA. Dividing 35 saves by 64 appearances gives about 0.55 saves per appearance. Two appearances amount to slightly more than one save on average.

Born September 16, 1990, Kim Jae-yoon is a former catcher. He signed with Arizona in MLB in 2009, was released in 2012, and after military service joined the KT Wiz in 2015 through the 2nd special draft and converted to pitcher. He helped the team win the 2021 Korean Series with 3 saves, and on August 22 this year he reached 220 career saves, 5th in KBO history and first among active players.

Although the injury grade is Grade 1, the lowest, the rest period the team gave is about two weeks, which directly overlaps the short playoff period. Newsis reporter Moon Chae-hyun predicted on that basis that missing the playoffs is unavoidable. Confirmation of a replacement closer and his actual return date have not yet been announced.

Kim Jae-yoon's 800 Million Won Salary and 4-Year Up to 5.8 Billion Won FA Contract Details

According to KBO's official player profile, Kim Jae-yoon's 2026 season salary is 800 million won. That is 440 million won more than his 2023 salary of 360 million won with KT, making it about 2.2 times higher.Yonhap News reported that on November 22, 2023, he signed a four-year contract with Samsung worth up to 5.8 billion won. Because the incentives are conditional, the full total has not been confirmed as actual earnings.

Kim Jae-yoon FA Contract Details (signed 2023.11.22, covering the 2024–2027 seasons)

Item	Amount
Signing bonus	2 billion won
Four-year salary total	2.8 billion won
Incentives (max)	1 billion won
Maximum total	5.8 billion won

Playoff Game 1 is scheduled for October 25 at 14:00. Neither the replacement closer nor Kim Jae-yoon's return date has been announced. The team's explanation was confirmed through reports citing officials from multiple outlets; the original text from the team's website could not be obtained. The season statistics and rankings in this article are regular-season records, excluding the postseason.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where is Kim Jae-yoon's injury?

It is the right serratus anterior. An MRI confirmed muscle and fascia damage, and a team official explained that it is a Grade 1 injury with fascial bleeding, requiring about two weeks of rest.

Q. How old is Kim Jae-yoon?

Born September 16, 1990, he is 36 as of October 2026. A former catcher, he converted to pitcher with the KT Wiz in 2015 and has played for Samsung since the 2024 season.

Q. What is Kim Jae-yoon's salary?

According to KBO's official player profile, his 2026 season salary is 800 million won. His FA contract with Samsung, signed in November 2023, is worth up to 5.8 billion won over four years (signing bonus 2 billion won, total salary 2.8 billion won, maximum incentives 1 billion won).

Related Official Sites

KBO Kim Jae-yoon Official Player Records — Check season-by-season appearances, saves, and ERA
KBO Official Category Rankings — Top 5 rankings by category, including saves
Samsung Lions Kim Jae-yoon Official Player Profile — Team-published profile and salary
Samsung Lions Official FA Contract Status — Team's historical FA contract records

Representative image · Archival photo · Not an on-site photo from the game currently covered in this article · Photo composite · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Neoalpha), CC0 · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (OSEN SPORTS), CC BY 3.0