'A stroke of luck in a sudden disaster' Elbow injury 1st-round pick confirmed to be out for 3 weeks after hospital checkup, manager says "He threw with all his might until now..." [Gwangju field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Still, it is fortunate amidst misfortune. The worst was avoided. He was diagnosed with a sprain. Recovery is expected to take about three weeks. This is the story of Doosan Bears right-handed fireballer Choi Jun-ho (22).

A Doosan Bears official conveyed information on the condition of right-handed pitcher Choi Jun-ho's elbow ahead of the away game against the KIA Tigers at the Gwangju-KIA Champions Field on the 14th for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

The official stated, "Choi Jun-ho underwent a checkup at a hospital the previous day (13th), and the result was a diagnosis of a right elbow sprain."

He further added, "He is scheduled to undergo rest and treatment for the next three weeks."

Choi Jun-ho, who graduated from Onyang Oncheon Elementary, Onyang Middle, and Bukil High schools, donned the Doosan Bears uniform as the 9th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2023 draft. His signing bonus was 200 million won.

Choi Jun-ho, who appeared in 17 games in the 2024 season with a record of 3 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 5.10, and in 9 games in the 2025 season with a record of 1 win, 2 losses, and an ERA of 8.44.

And this season, he began to show his potential. He appeared in 16 games, achieving a record of 4 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 4.30. Over a total of 23 innings, he recorded 20 hits allowed (2 home runs), 12 walks, 25 strikeouts, 15 runs allowed (11 earned runs), an innings per baserunner allowed (WHIP) of 1.39, and a batting average against of 0.225.

However, recent injury misfortune has befallen him. On the 11th, in a game against the Lotte Giants, Choi Jun-ho recorded 1 inning, 1 hit allowed (1 home run), 1 walk, and 1 run allowed (1 earned run), becoming the winning pitcher. However, after finishing his pitching, he complained of discomfort in his right elbow.

Consequently, Choi Jun-ho did not accompany the team on the away game in Gwangju starting from the 12th, was removed from the first-division roster, and moved to Seoul. The following day, on the 13th, he underwent a detailed checkup at a hospital and received a diagnosis of a sprain.

Sometimes, many pitchers who feel elbow pain end up on the operating table. However, fortunately, Choi Jun-ho has so far avoided surgery. Doosan has had a notably high frequency of pitcher injuries this season. Je Hwan-yu, Choi Won-jun, and Yang Jae-hoon underwent surgery, while Kim Jung-woo, Yoon Tae-ho, and Flexen have yet to step onto the mound due to injuries. It is fortunate that Park Chi-guk and Kim Taek-yeon have returned after being injured.

Kim Won-hyeong, the manager of Doosan Bears, expressed his regret. Manager Kim said, "Until now, (Choi) Jun-ho has thrown with all his might," and wished for a speedy recovery.

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*This content was translated by AI.