Three hits, including a home run, on first day of practice. ‘Jamsil Big Boy’ signalled his return from the second team
Jamsil Big Boy Lee Jae-won, who was injured for the third time this year, showed good hitting form with a multi-hit game in his first rehabilitation.
Lee Jae-won batted 4-for-4 with three RBIs in a Futures League game against the Doosan Bears at LG Champions Park in Icheon on 6 June.스포츠토토
Lee was one of LG’s most anticipated hitters, but he didn’t get much time to show it due to injury. After being sidelined with a sore side at the end of spring training, Lee raised expectations by hitting a home run against Dole in the final game of the exhibition season and against Kiwoom on 25 March, only to be sidelined again the next day.
He quickly returned to the first team with a tremendous batting performance in the second team. In five games, he hit four home runs in 16 at-bats, with three of his four hits being home runs. On 6 May, he was promoted to the first team and batted 2-for-7 (37 at-bats) with three home runs and 10 RBIs in 16 games.
On 16 May, Lee showed off his power with two home runs against the KT Wiz, and the next day, on 17 May, he hit a two-run homer at an incredible speed of 182 km/h, creating a buzz.
Against SSG on the 24th, he hit a two-run shot against SSG starter Elias in the second inning after falling behind 0-4. In the top of the fourth inning, he stole second base on an automatic double play. In the bottom of the fifth, he was taken out of the game with hamstring tightness while fielding.
This time, it was a hamstring injury. After a medical examination, he was diagnosed with a micro-damage to his left thigh muscle and was removed from the first team.
He is preparing to return quickly. I’ve been out for less than two weeks.
It’s not easy to expect good hitting in the first game, but Lee Jae-won was on a different level. After batting leadoff in the second inning against Doosan starter Je Hwan-yu, Lee hit a single to right, and in the fourth inning, he singled up the middle to put runners on first and third with no outs.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lee came to the plate for the third time with two outs, facing Doosan’s second pitcher, Lee Seung-jin, and struck out on a four-pitch outside pitch on a 1B2S count.
Trailing 1-10 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Facing Kim Jung-woo, Lee Jae-won pulled a 144km fastball from 1B2S for a huge double off the left-centre fence for a one-base hit. Replaced by pacer Ham Chang-gun.
Now back on the comeback countdown. The addition of big-hitting Lee Jae-won to the first team would certainly help the offence. But the most important thing is to avoid a fourth injury.