Dinos pitcher scheduled for surgery after being hit on the face with a hard-hit ball

NC Dinos pitcher Lim Ji-min will undergo surgery after being struck in the face by a hard-hit ball.

NC announced Saturday that Lim will undergo surgery early next week for a comminuted fracture of his lower jaw.

Lim took the mound with two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the eighth inning with the score tied 6-6 against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on Friday. After NC scored to take a 9-6 lead, Lim returned for the ninth inning, when he was struck in the face by a ball hit by Victor Reyes.

Lim immediately collapsed on the mound and received emergency treatment due to heavy bleeding. He was then taken to a hospital by ambulance.

Lim was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture of his lower jaw and a laceration inside his mouth, according to NC. The laceration was sutured, and he is scheduled to undergo surgery early next week for further treatment and recovery.

Lim primarily played catcher in high school before converting to pitcher after turning professional. His fastball was in the high 140-kilometer-per-hour (87-mile-per-hour) range at the time, and he made his KBO first-team debut in 2023, his second professional season.

He later suffered an elbow injury and underwent surgery before beginning his mandatory military service in July that year. His velocity increased after his return, helping him emerge as a key pitcher in NC’s bullpen.

Lim’s fastball tops out at 155 kilometers per hour, while his pitches can reach 2,600 revolutions per minute, giving him some of the best raw stuff in the league.

This season, Lim has appeared in 49 games, going 4-5 with six saves, nine holds and a 5.40 ERA. A timetable for his return is expected to become clearer after surgery.

BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]