'Samsung Emergency': Gu Ja-wook's Gallbladder Condition More Serious Than Expected! Park Jin-man: "Hospital Visits Frequent; Lee Jae-hyun Is Fine, But Removed a Day Early"

*This content was translated by AI.

The return of Samsung Lions' lineup cornerstone Gu Ja-wook (33) is being delayed. His participation in the game on the 13th remains uncertain, and his availability for the next match on the 15th is also in question. Starting shortstop Lee Jae-hyun (23), who showed signs of neck muscle stiffness during the previous day's (12th) game, was removed from the first-division roster a day early under Coach Park Jin-man's consideration ahead of his Asian Games call-up. Though not seriously injured, he will rest to avoid further strain.

Samsung manager Park Jin-met met with reporters ahead of the LG Twins game scheduled for the 13th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park to update on the physical condition of key players.

The biggest concern is captain Gu Ja-wook. Having sat out training on the previous day (12th) due to sudden gallbladder pain, he showed no improvement even after a full day. Manager Park stated, "Gu Ja-wook is still undergoing treatment. He's been going in and out of the hospital frequently, and it seems his gallbladder issue has become quite severe." He added, "Playing today will be difficult. We'll continue treatment until tomorrow and monitor his condition through Tuesday (15th)."

Gu Ja-wook's absence is a significant blow. With a batting average of 0.363, 14 home runs, 93 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of 0.447 this season, his contributions have been vital. The team struggled with weak hitting the previous day without him, prompting emergency measures within the Samsung lineup.

In contrast, Lee Jae-hyun's removal from the roster is not due to injury but for management purposes. During the LG game on the 12th, he was substituted at the start of the bottom of the fourth inning due to neck muscle stiffness but has since improved enough to potentially play today. However, with the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games national team call-up scheduled for the 14th, the decision was made to avoid overexertion.

Manager Park explained, "He was already scheduled to be removed due to the upcoming call-up after today's game. Pushing him unnecessarily could cause further issues. While the team is important, this situation also matters greatly for Lee himself and the national team. We decided it would be best to let him rest fully the day before the call-up, so we moved up his removal by one day." He added, "His physical condition should allow him to join the national team next week without any issues in training or games."

Meanwhile, second-year infielder Shim Jae-hoon (20) was unexpectedly promoted to the first-division roster to fill Lee Jae-hyun's spot. Shim has been a reliable backup infielder this season, recording a .308 batting average, 2 home runs, 20 RBIs, and 5 stolen bases in 42 Futures League games. Manager Park noted, "We brought up Shim Jae-hoon one day early."

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*This content was translated by AI.