"I thought the surgery went better than expected." Moon Dong-ju visited Daejeon and also met Lee Jung-hoo and Kim Ha-seong in the U.S. "It was very motivating."

*This content was translated by AI.

Moon Dong-ju (23, Hanwha Eagles) visited his home stadium to cheer on his teammates after surgery. He also conveyed a special gift with feelings of apology and gratitude.

Hanwha released a video on the 2nd via its YouTube channel "Eagles TV" showing Moon Dong-ju, who returned to Korea after surgery and visited Hanwha Life Eagles Park.

Moon Dong-ju made his first start in the May 2 game against the Samsung Lions but voluntarily left the mound before completing the first inning due to shoulder pain. Following a detailed examination, he was diagnosed with a tear of the right shoulder labrum requiring surgery and underwent arthroscopic labral repair at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, USA, on May 20.

At the time, Hanwha reported that news had been received indicating the surgery was successfully completed and that rehabilitation was scheduled to begin two days later. Moon Dong-ju returned to Korea only on the 30th of last month.

Moon Dong-ju conveyed through his social networking service (SNS), "I am well aware that a long rehabilitation period lies ahead. It will be a difficult path, but I will not waste a single moment. I will endure each day diligently and return to the mound as a tougher and better player than before my injury. I believe this is the greatest repayment I can offer to everyone who supports me."

This is the injury that Ryu Hyun-jin suffered after advancing to the United States. Although there were concerns that it could be fatal for a pitcher, Ryu Hyun-jin returned after a long rehabilitation and managed to achieve the top ERA in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2019.

Ryu Hyun-jin also said at the time, "Dong-ju was crying terribly after hearing the MRI results. To comfort him and ease his fears, I told him that when he woke up, the surgery would already be done." He added, "There will likely be some pain during the rehabilitation process, and Dong-ju must endure that pain to a certain extent in order to return. If he can get through that period without pain from then on, I think it is something Dong-ju needs to take care of himself."

Moon Dong-ju, who successfully underwent surgery and completed rehabilitation before returning to his home country, visited his home stadium. He headed first to the coaches' room, where he exchanged warm greetings with the coaching staff, particularly sharing especially emotional embraces with bullpen coach Yoon Kyu-jin and pitching coach Park Seung-min.

Moon Dong-ju told coach Park Seung-min, "I came back having created almost a 90-degree external rotation of the shoulder," and Coach Park responded with an encouraging look, saying, "Take good care of yourself and fight on."

He then met with his colleagues. Moon Dong-ju also prepared special gifts for them out of a sense of apology. "Although it is regrettable that I cannot continue playing baseball together until the end, many people including players, the manager, coaches, and all staff on site have been working hard in extremely hot weather, so I wanted to take care of them," he explained. "I prepared these small gifts as a sign of encouragement."

Colleagues could not hide their affection for Moon Dong-ju even as they received gifts. They expressed their joy with individual words and showed their happiness in their own unique ways.

Moon Dong-ju said, "I feel like the surgery went better than expected. It's good because all the things that were bothering me have been removed through surgery," and added, "I kept an eye on the games whenever I had time."

There was also special motivation. "I had wanted to visit San Francisco anyway, and I told Jung-hoo that he should come visit me. Before returning to Korea, I thought I should go there once, so I went. They even let me watch batting practice and invited me home, where my mother sliced some fruit for me. Kim Ha-seong also joined us, and we had a wonderful time that gave me a lot of motivation," he said.

Now only tedious rehabilitation remains. Although it will be a difficult period, it is an essential process for recovery. Moon Dong-ju said, "I need to focus on rehabilitation now. I have decided to continue consulting with Dr. Elatrace in the U.S. and carefully plan future treatment," adding, "I plan to work hard on rehabilitation in Korea."

Warm words from colleagues became a great source of strength. Moon Dong-ju said, "I received so many messages that it truly gave me a lot of strength," adding, "For the first time, I felt in my heart that even small messages can be a huge boost. I want to express my sincere gratitude and promise to return safely. Please don't worry."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.