Thank God!' Lee Jung-hoo, who fell on the grass, is okay with his ankle condition. "It's the left foot, so it's not a blow problem. You'll be treated well."→Just like today!"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), a key player of the national team who made his best start by catching the first game of the World Baseball Classic in 17 years, fell during defense and faced a heartbreaking moment, but fortunately, it was confirmed that he avoided major injuries.

Lee Jung-hoo started as the third batter and center fielder in the first Group C match of 2026 WBC against the Czech Republic at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 5th and hit hard with two hits, one walk and one run from four times at bat.

On this day, Lee Jung-hoo produced a dizzying scene. In the top of the fourth inning, he tripped over the grass while handling Martin Muzik's hit to the middle of the game with one out and second base. In the process of spraying the throw to the first base, an uncomfortable scene came out on the ankle. Fortunately, Lee Jung-hoo played the game until the end without replacement. After moving to the defensive position to the right field, he added a heavy hit in the bottom of the eighth inning to complete a multi-hit game.

Immediately after the game, Lee Jung-hoo met with reporters in the mixed zone with a smile and had a brief interview. According to Lee Jung-hoo's explanation, he immediately checked his ankle condition with trainer Kim Yong-il immediately after the end of the game. At first, it seemed to have been severely bent, so there was a lot of concern, but the confirmation revealed that it was just a simple bruise.

In a meeting with Star News, Lee Jung-hoo said, "Fortunately, it's okay because it's my left foot. "It's a foot that only needs to rotate, so there's no problem with hitting," he said. However, "I think you only have to be a little careful when throwing the ball or breaking the start. There are six days without games, so I think it will be okay if I get treatment well," he said, adding that he plans to receive intensive treatment during the break.

Lee Jung-hoo's eyes, who shook off the bad news of his injury, are now heading to the "Korea-Japan match of destiny" on the 6th. Lee Jung-hoo expressed satisfaction with the victory, saying, "The game went well as I was confident," but remained vigilant about the next opponent, Japan.

Lee Jung-hoo said, "I wish I could just do it like today. In fact, the atmosphere in Korea-Japan match will be very different, he said. "It is most important that we do not shrink or be swayed by the atmosphere."

Attention is focusing on whether Lee Jung-hoo, who is scheduled to take a day off tomorrow to adjust his condition, will be able to completely wash away his concerns about his physical condition and play the role of a troubleshooter for the national team in the match against Korea and Japan.

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*This content was translated by AI.