*This content was translated by AI.
Lotte Giants' main catcher Son Seong-bin (24) underwent a detailed examination due to finger pain but, fortunately, avoided a serious injury and breathed a sigh of relief.
On the 24th, Lotte announced, "After being examined at Korea University Anam Hospital, we received a diagnosis stating that the membrane surrounding the tendon of his right middle finger was damaged."
It further added, "Although there is some instability, there are no functional issues, so he can play while under management."
Son Seong-bin first noticed an abnormal reaction in his right middle finger ahead of a road game against Doosan Bears on the 21st. Although the game proceeded normally at the time, the pain did not easily subside.
As a result, Son Seong-bin missed both games against Doosan held at Jamsil Stadium on the 22nd and 23rd.
Initially, it was known as a simple tendon sprain, raising concerns among those around him. Fortunately, however, he avoided life-threatening injuries such as tendon rupture and will receive treatment while remaining in the first-division roster.
Son Seong-bin, who joined Lotte after being selected first overall in the 2021 draft, has firmly established himself as the team's starting catcher this season, excelling on both offense and defense. This season, he has played in 103 games, recording a batting average of 0.249 (64 hits in 257 at-bats), 6 home runs, 29 RBIs, 32 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.691.
In particular, he has demonstrated a solid 29.3% caught-stealing rate defensively. With a low stolen base attempt success rate allowed of just 3.8%, he has proven to possess one of the strongest arms and best abilities to suppress steals among starting catchers across all 10 teams in the league.
Additionally, Son Seong-bin was showing excellent hitting form, including hitting back-to-back home runs against Kiwoom Heroes on the 18th and 19th.
However, he suddenly began feeling pain and could not show much during the three-game series against Doosan. Still, it is a great relief that he avoided a long-term absence, allowing Lotte, which has a busy road ahead in the race for autumn baseball, to minimize the loss of key personnel.
Meanwhile, Lotte currently holds sole sixth place in the league and will embark on a three-game midweek road series against fourth-place KIA Tigers at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field from the 25th to the 27th. Attention is focused on whether Son Seong-bin, a key asset for the team, will manage his injured area well and deliver strong performances.
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*This content was translated by AI.
