Umm Heroes’ Lee Jung-hoo will be 스포츠토토 unable to play for the rest of the season due to ankle surgery. Still, he can advance to the Major League next year.
Lee Jung-hoo started as the center fielder for the third batter in an away game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 22nd, but was voluntarily replaced due to pain in his left ankle during defense in the bottom of the eighth inning. There was a saying that the degree of injury was serious, but it was actually serious.
Kiwoom announced the results of Lee Jung-hoo’s hospital examination on the 24th. Kiwoom said Lee Jung-hoo was diagnosed with damage to the left ankle kidney as a result of detailed examinations such as MRI and X-ray at CM Hospital and Sejong Sports Orthopedic Surgery.
The damage to the renal zone is the damage to the membrane surrounding the tendon of the ankle, and it is known that suture surgery is necessary for treatment. Lee Jung-hoo said on the 25th that he plans to schedule surgery after additional checkups at Sejong Sports Orthopedic Surgery, and that the rehabilitation period after surgery is about three months. Although it can change depending on the pace of recovery, it will be impossible to participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games as well as the regular season in three months. It’s actually a season out.
Lee Jung-hoo suffered a severe batting slump at the beginning of the season, but he later revived as Lee Jung-hoo and returned as the team’s central hitter with a batting average of .319, 105 hits, 6 home runs, and 45 RBIs.
The injury can’t be helped, and all that remains is to come back healthy. However, it is highly likely that he will return to the Major League.
Lee Jung-hoo is aiming to advance to the Major League through the posting system after this season. He failed to finish the season due to an unexpected injury day, and the number of registered days this season is 113 days, which is less than 150 days, but fortunately, he filled the number of registered days in the 7th year of the KBO League, so there is no problem in advancing to the Major League.
This is because he has accumulated many points by participating in many international competitions. Since his debut in 2017, Lee Jung-hoo has consistently played as a starting player. In 2018 alone, he was out due to injury, only 141 days, and completed five years until last year. And there are many points to participate in international competitions. He won 10 points as the runner-up to APBC in 2017 and a total of 60 points as the runner-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2019 Premier 12. Lee Jung-hoo, who won 10 points as fourth place in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, also won 10 points to participate in the WBC held in March, with 90 points from international competitions. If this is divided into 2018 and this season, it will fill all seven seasons.
If there is a concern, this injury may be an obstacle to entering the Major League. In contract negotiations, the ransom may be lowered due to injury problems. It’s best to return before the end of the season and show your health, but it’s most important for Lee Jung-hoo to return in perfect form.
For now, Lee Jung-hoo’s final KBO League match is likely to be against Lotte on the 22nd. The one-run right-handed hit against Lotte Kim Jin-wook in the top of the seventh inning seems to be the last at-bat.