"His mental state isn't normal," Choi Jeong, one day after making 'a new chapter in Korean baseball history,' is removed from the first-division roster and will search for the cause of his pain [Incheon field report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Just one day after setting an unprecedented record in professional baseball history with 20 home runs for 11 consecutive years, Choi Jeong (39, SSG Landers) disappeared from the first-division roster. He will focus on resolving unexplained hip pain in the near future.

On the 17th, ahead of a 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the KIA Tigers at Incheon SSG Landers Field, SSG removed Choi Jeong from the first-division roster and registered Im Geun-woo.

Despite continuous treatment and management for his left hip area, which has been troubling Choi Jeong consistently this season, the pain has not subsided. The team stated, "We are currently engaging in multi-faceted discussions with domestic and international professional medical institutions to seek more detailed diagnosis and treatment methods."

Judging by his appearance alone, it seems strange. This season, Choi Jeong has been performing exceptionally well in 71 games with a batting average of 0.306 (255 at-bats, 78 hits), 20 home runs, 57 RBIs, 45 runs scored, an on-base percentage of 0.397, a slugging percentage of 0.616, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.013. This stands in stark contrast to last season, when he played through hamstring pain and managed only a .244 batting average, 23 home runs, and 63 RBIs.

It was not impossible for him to participate in games. However, due to the difficulty of handling defensive duties, he played only 379 innings across 45 games. In the remaining games, he served as a designated hitter.

Nevertheless, Choi Jeong himself found it difficult. Recently, Choi said, "I felt personally unhelpful and apologized," adding, "When we lose or I can't perform well in a game, I feel like I'm the reason for the loss. I often feel that I am not helping at all. Lately, my mental state itself is not normal."

Despite avoiding the painful area, he hit home runs and bolstered his team. Manager Lee Seung-yong met with reporters before the game and said, "That's why I felt it was even more impressive. It doesn't make sense to me," and added, "I thought legends are truly legends, and I hope many of our younger players can watch and learn from such scenes."

He continued, "I wonder if we can find the cause of the pain. For now, I'll rest and keep investigating in Japan or the U.S., so I expect some results to come out eventually."

Even if it takes time, the goal is to find a definite cause and treatment method. "(Rushing him back) has no meaning at this point. If he gets hurt again while doing this, he will be the most troubled. Not only for the team but also as a manager, there is a significant difference between having (Choi) Jeong and not having him, but we need a healthier Jeong for our team more than ever," he said. "Therefore, I believe it is right to wait until Jeong can fully play defense. If he plays a bit and gets hurt again, the condition could worsen. Coldly speaking, this time now seems like the best opportunity to give Jeong time. Since he has already reported his pain, and the training staff is investigating through various routes, we should be able to find the cause."

Guillermo Heredia, who was temporarily brought in due to injury as a replacement for Bly Madris, still faces difficulties participating in games due to issues such as visa issuance, and now Choi Jeong has also been sidelined.

SSG set their starting lineup with Jung Jun-jae (second baseman), Park Sung-han (shortstop), Go Myeong-jun (third baseman), Jeon Ui-san (first baseman), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Kim Sung-wook (right fielder), Choi Ji-hoon (center fielder), Choi Joon-woo (left fielder), and Jo Hyung-woo (catcher). The starting pitcher is Kim Min-jun.

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*This content was translated by AI.