'I said it wasn't that bad,' Lee Jung-hoo ends up on the 10th-day injured list due to lower back muscle pain [MLB]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), who complained of lower back muscle pain, has ultimately been placed on the injured list (IL).

The San Francisco Giants announced on the 23rd (Korean time) that Lee Jung-hoo has been placed on the 10th-day injured list.

Lee Jung-hoo started as the leadoff hitter and right fielder in the game against Arizona on the 19th, hitting a hit in five consecutive games, but showed symptoms of a back spasm and was substituted out during the bottom of the fourth inning. After the game, San Francisco manager Tony Vitello stated, "It looks like Lee Jung-hoo will have difficulty playing in the game on the 20th."

It appeared to be no major injury. According to local media, San Francisco manager Tony Vitello said before the game on the 20th, "After speaking with Lee Jung-hoo in the training room, it appeared his condition had improved significantly from yesterday," and added, "While we need to monitor his exact condition, we decided it would be better for him to receive treatment and rest today."

He continued, "There may be no need to place him on the injured list." While placement on the IL is required if rehabilitation or special treatment is necessary, the decision was made that he could recover with just a few days of rest.

However, Lee Jung-hoo could not play in the game on the 21st, nor in today's game, and was ultimately placed on the IL. The effective date is retroactively set to the 20th.

Lee Jung-hoo, who holds the top career batting average (0.340) in KBO history, spent seven seasons in the KBO League without major injuries. However, the situation changed after he moved to MLB.

In his debut season in 2024, he suffered a shoulder injury after colliding with a fence during defensive play, requiring surgery, and ended his season early after playing only 37 games.

Lee Jung-hoo, who returned normally last year and played 150 games, was building expectations this season with a .268 batting average (179 at-bats, 48 hits), 3 home runs, 17 RBIs, 20 runs scored, a .311 on-base percentage, a .385 slugging percentage, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.696 in 48 games.

But this injury has caused him to be sidelined again. Lee Jung-hoo is a star player who joined the San Francisco Giants on a massive six-year, $113 million contract (approximately 171.6 billion won). Therefore, the longer he is absent, the more he must face cold stares.

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*This content was translated by AI.