"Traffic accident." Lotte's Kim Won-joong is lucky! Rib microfracture → Returning goal in mid-February "No problem preparing for the season"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants pitcher Kim Won-joong (33) suffered a dizzying accident during the offseason. Avoiding major injuries, he will be able to play safely in the opening game of the 2026 season.

"Kim Won-joong had a car accident in downtown Gwangju at the end of December last year," a Lotte team official said on the phone with Star News on the 20th. A right rib microfracture has been diagnosed and is under outpatient treatment. He did not go to a situation where he needed inpatient treatment, and recently took a profile picture for the 2026 season. There is no problem in preparing for the season," he said.

According to a Lotte team official's explanation, the opponent's car hit Kim Won-joong's car's passenger seat big. It was a fortunate situation. Kim Won-joong was also shocked by that, and he had to go to the hospital for a while.

Joining the first spring camp, which will begin on the 25th in Tainan, Taiwan, has virtually failed. Lotte will hold its first spring camp in Tainan until February 19. After passing through Busan on February 20, Kim Won-joong will start training in Miyazaki, Japan, on the 21st, and Kim Won-joong will be able to join at the end of the first camp.

An official from Lotte said, "Kim Won-joong is rehabilitating hard with the goal of returning to the middle and late first camp. The player doesn't feel much pain, and there is no problem at all in preparing for the season. But I'm sure I'll be back before the end of the first camp"I think it would be right to see that he will join in mid-February rather than the announcement," he explained.

It means that I have no intention of overdoing it. Lotte, which competed for third place until the first half of last year and remained in seventh place due to a fall in the second half, is aiming to advance to the fifth round again this year.

While the collapse of the bullpen is considered one of the reasons, closer Kim Won-joong is considered the core of Lotte's five strongest teams. Last year, Kim Won-joong defended Lotte's back door with 4 wins, 3 losses, 32 saves, an ERA of 2.67 and 69 strikeouts in 60 ⅔ innings despite the bullpen shaking.

Currently, the team gathered in Busan will begin its long journey for the 2026 season through Gimhae Airport on the evening of the 25th.

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*This content was translated by AI.