Lotte Giants’ “national bullpen pitcher” Choi Joon-yong (23), who successfully completed shoulder surgery, conveyed his sincere feelings to fans and colleagues.
On the 7th, Choi Jun-yong posted a picture of his shoulder surgery on his SNS, saying, “Thanks to a lot of worries and support, I was able to successfully undergo surgery.”
“Now, I’m trying to rehabilitate once again with the hope that I can get out of the really long shoulder pain and fight,” he said. “Of course, rehabilitation will not be easy as it is my shoulder, but when I stand on the mound again, I will try to become a better pitcher and come back.”
Choi, who joined Lotte as the first draft pick in 2020, has emerged as the core of the bullpen by posting four wins, two losses and one save with 20 holds and an ERA of 2.85 in 44 games in the 2021 season, his second year. He also ranked second in voting for the Rookie of the Year award based on his outstanding capabilities.
Choi, who also played a key role in Lotte’s bullpen in 2022 (three wins, four losses, 14 saves, six holds, ERA 4.06) and 2023 (47 games, two wins, three losses, 14 holds, ERA 2.45), was considering switching to a batter at last year’s closing camp. It was because of shoulder pain that constantly bothered him.
Choi took the mound as a member of the national team at the Asian Baseball Championship (APBC) held in November 2023 and a special game against the San Diego Padres in March this year, showing impressive performance. Recharged with confidence, Choi decided to focus on pitching again, but was hampered by shoulder pain again. In the end, Choi ended the season early with a record of one win, two losses and three holds and an ERA of 5.40 in 27 games, and chose surgery.
Lotte said on the 4th, “Choi Jun-yong will undergo surgery on his right shoulder shoulder joint on the 6th,” adding, “He can play through rehabilitation such as injection and physical therapy, but we decided that he needs surgical treatment for the future of the player.” The club said, “Choi Jun-yong has been injected and physiotherapy for many years since joining the team, but it has not been very effective,” adding, 메이저놀이터 “The player himself was stressed by pain from pain.”
Choi Jun-yong, who successfully completed the surgery, expressed his willingness to rehabilitate while expressing his regret. “I’m really sorry for the fans that the team couldn’t be together until the end of the season and finished first in such a difficult situation,” he said.
Lotte expects Choi’s rehabilitation period to take about four months. After undergoing shoulder surgery, Choi will be relieved of the pain that has plagued him for a long time, and is looking forward to the day when he will throw a fastball again on the mound next season.