Seoul: SSG Landers third baseman Choi Jeong survived an injury scare Thursday while taking fungoes prior to a road game. Choi suffered a cut around his left eyebrow after getting hit by a ground ball during a pregame fielding session at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, where his team was to face the home team LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). After receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, Choi will remain in the starting lineup as designated hitter (DH), the Landers said. Choi was wearing sunglasses at the time.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Choi missed the first month and a half of this season with a hamstring injury. Since making his season debut on May 2, Choi has been designated hitter in 31 of his 33 games, with only two appearances at his usual defensive position at third base.
Choi has nine home runs and 26 RBIs, but he has not gone deep since May 28 and was batting only .152 in nine games so far in June before Thursday. Landers manager Lee Sung-yong said he was confident Choi would turn things around before long, and added playing defense would help him get into his rhythm at the plate, too.
“I talked to him about this yesterday, and I think he should start playing defense a little more,” Lee said. “But he still has some pains in his leg when he’s on the field. At the same time, because he has never been a full-time DH before, I think it will help him with his overall balance if he can both play defense and hit. And he understands that.”
Prior to Thursday’s game, Choi had logged 132 plate appearances as DH, already more than his combined totals for the past two years. “Over the course of a season, I think he typically runs into rough patches about three times,” Lee said of the all-time KBO home run leader with 504. “And he has been able to overcome his slumps wisely, which is why he is the player that he is today.”