LG has scratched right-handed batsman Lee Jae-won (24), who the team has high hopes for as its next No. 4 batsman, from its first-team roster ahead of its game against Incheon SSG on Friday. The day before (24), he felt pain in his left thigh while fielding, and a medical examination revealed micro-damage to the muscle.
On the 24th, it was announced that it was not a major problem and that it was for the protection of the player. LG said it was icing and there were no plans for a medical check-up. However, as the pain continued, he went to the hospital, where a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed the injury.메이저놀이터
“I need to rest for at least two weeks, maybe 20 days,” said LG coach Yeom Kyung-yup. It is expected to take longer than that for him to recover, play, and return to the first team. LG has a lot of outfielders, but Lee Jae-won has something that sets him apart from other outfielders. He is a right-handed hitter who can hit long balls. There is no other outfielder in the league with this trait.
Now recognised as one of the best in the KBO, Lee Jae-won was chosen as an ambitious strategist by LG manager Yoon Kyung-yeop this year. Yoon is convinced that if he fixes the problems he has now, he can one day become a big-time player who can hit 40 home runs in three seasons. “That’s why I wanted him to delay his military service a little bit, and even if he did join, I wanted him to have a good experience for a year or two. I emphasised that it’s a big difference between having that experience and not having it when you come back.
Even in camp, there was a clear strategy. Yeom revealed early on that he wanted to bat Park Dong-won, who is also a punchy catcher, and Lee Jae-won in the seventh or eighth spot in the batting order. The batting order was interchangeable, but it meant two things. By batting the two at the back of the order, they wanted to keep the opposing pitchers on their toes, confident that their power hitters would not be able to throw strikes easily. On the other hand, it was also a strategy to take Lee Jae-won out of the batting order to allow him to grow.
However, Lee has been plagued by injuries this year and has been increasingly removed from that plan. Before the start of the season, he injured his side. After rehabbing his side, he joined the first team on 6 May and started the season in earnest, only to be sidelined again 19 days later. Yoon’s ‘long-hitting seven or eight runs’ will also have to be abandoned for the time being. It’s a shame because he was in great shape, hitting a ton of home runs.
This may not be the only outfield option LG is missing. The KBO Power Enhancement Committee, which is set to announce the final roster for the Hangzhou Asian Games in June, will also be disappointed to lose Lee to injury. It’s not a done deal, but it’s a disappointing loss of an option and a card to weigh.
One of the people involved in the selection of the preliminary roster said, “A lot of the younger players are left-handed hitters. There are very few right-handed batters, especially those who can hit long balls.” Yeom, who was the head of the technical committee before LG’s appointment as head coach, said, “That’s true. There are no right-handers. Coach Ryu Jung-il will have to think about it.”
It’s not necessary to have a left-handed bat, but it’s better to have a minimum balance. One of the hottest players in the right-handed outfield has been Lee Jae-won. But when he was ruled out for June, the team was left with one less option to consider. An injury to a highly touted prospect has darkened many faces.