Lotte's all-weather right-hander bullpen 'finish' season is out... Park Jin confirmed Tommy John surgery on the 18th → Rehabilitation schedule will be revealed later

*This content was translated by AI.

Lotte Giants all-weather right-hander Park Jin (27) finally confirmed the season out.

Ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League exhibition game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Sajik-dong, Busan on the 17th, a Lotte team official said, "Park Jin is scheduled to perform Tommy John surgery on his right elbow (reconstruction of ligament) at Cheongdam Leone Orthopedic Surgery on March 18." We will disclose the rehabilitation schedule after surgery," he said.

I expected it, but it's heartbreaking news. Park Jin complained of right elbow pain at Lotte's second spring camp in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, and returned home on the 3rd.

The examination revealed damage to the elbow ligament, which naturally led to Tommy John surgery. Tommy John Surgery has recently reduced his rehabilitation period from a year and a half to around a year due to the development of medicine. But it's clear that he can't play this season at least.

It is also a big blow for Lotte. Park Jin is a right-hander who joined the 2019 KBO Rookie Draft as 38th in the fourth round after graduating from Busan National University, Busan Middle School, and Busan High School. The maximum speed is not as fast as 148 kilometers per hour, but it was a resource that also played as a starting pitcher with stable control.

Last year, the second year of the full season, confirmed the possibility. Park Jin-jin recorded 3 wins, 3 losses, 3 holds, 1 save, an ERA of 5.32 and 50 strikeouts in 69 ⅓ innings in 51 games. In the Lotte bullpen, which had an ERA of 4.65 (8th in the league) last year, Park Jin played nearly 70 innings with Kim Kang-hyun and Jung Chul-won, playing as an all-weather bullpen.

However, Park Jin's final departure made Lotte urgent to make strides in new pitchers.

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*This content was translated by AI.