"They said there's nothing they can do even at the hospital..." Choi Jeong has vanished; SSG Landers seeks out all medical staff in Korea, the U.S., and Japan [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"They told me even at the hospital, there's nothing they can do."

Lee Sung-yong (55), manager of the SSG Landers, let out a deep sigh. This is because Choi Jeong (39), who holds the all-time KBO home run record, has been sidelined by an indefinite injury.

Manager Lee Sung-yong met with reporters ahead of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League away game against the KT Wiz at Suwon KT Wiz Park on the 23rd, saying, "I went to the hospital again yesterday, and the doctor said there's nothing they can do. They told me I have no choice but to endure by taking painkillers." He added, "They aren't even saying he needs treatment or rest because of a specific problem. We've been discussing this within the team, but even if we remove him, there's nothing he can do," expressing his frustration.

Choi Jeong started in the game against the Changwon NC Dinos on the 19th, reaching base via a walk in his first at-bat in the first inning, but was substituted for by Kim Jae-hwan before his second at-bat in the bottom of the fourth inning. This was due to a recurrence of discomfort in his left hip area, which has been appearing frequently recently. As a result, Choi Jeong sat out the games on the 20th and 21st as well.

Choi Jeong has been performing as if defying time this season, batting .294 with 17 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 35 runs scored in 57 games, posting an on-base percentage of .394, a slugging percentage of .618, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.012. However, just like last year, he has been hampered by an injury once again.

Last year, hamstring injuries recurred multiple times, which is why he played in only 95 games. However, this situation is different. He has been diagnosed that rest or treatment is not the answer.

Manager Lee Sung-yong said, "He gets pain if he takes a certain posture. It happens even while walking, but sometimes it doesn't. Once it starts, it lasts for a day."

Rest alone does not improve his condition. With the team sitting in ninth place, Choi Jeong's potential move to the minor league is also an outcome he does not want. The manager explained, "His mentality is strong, so he's enduring, but he is still a human being. He reportedly said, 'If I go down to the minor league, I might collapse.' So we decided to let him play as long as he can. If the pain returns, we'll pull him out then and have him pinch-hit or play as a designated hitter. We told him not to worry about defense and to focus on his body first."

Nevertheless, they are pouring all their efforts into finding a treatment method. The manager said, "First, we are looking into all hospitals in Korea and are also trying to check out options in Japan or the U.S. I hope there is at least one similar case." He added, "He must be the most suffering. If we could treat him precisely, we would remove him, but they say even that method doesn't exist, so it's frustrating. If he can't do anything even if he's out, we'll have no choice but to let him go. Rest doesn't necessarily help. We keep meeting and discussing, but there's no answer. For now, he said he will do his best until he can't."

He continued, "Since two doctors have said the same thing, it's even more frustrating. They just call it inflammation, but he feels it's not that. We are looking into other hospitals. If treatment is possible, that comes first. He is a player who will need to continue playing not just this year, but next year and the year after as well."

Fortunately, after breaking their five-game losing streak, there are signs that the lineup is coming alive. SSG lined up in the following order: Jeong Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Guillermo Heredia (left fielder), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Go Myeong-jun (third baseman), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Kim Sung-wook (right fielder), and Jo Hyung-woo (catcher). The starting pitcher was Kim Geon-woo.

Nevertheless, it is difficult to expect SSG's high-flying performance without Choi Jeong. This is why SSG has no choice but to pour all its resources into Choi Jeong's treatment.

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*This content was translated by AI.