It was a baseball festival on a summer night in Incheon.
Among them was Kia Tigers closer Jung Hae-young (23). Despite topping the overall All-Star fan vote, he had to withdraw from the roster due to rotator cuff inflammation in his shoulder, so he volunteered to be a “helper” in the dugout, cheering on his teammates and handing out helmets, protective gear, and more.
For Kia, it was a big deal. Even though he doesn’t play, the long travels and long hours on the field are enough to take their toll. Considering that rest is the most important part of treating inflammation, Jung’s decision was a concern for KIA. The Kia’s concerns were not unfounded, as Jeong was soon to return to pitching in a step-by-step program. At a fan signing, a club official joked, “Use your left hand (instead of your injured right hand) to sign autographs.”
But when she put on her All-Star jersey, her face was as bright as ever.
“It was an unexpected injury. But I’m an All-Star because the fans voted for me. Even if I couldn’t be on the field, I thought I should be in the dugout,” Jung said. “I’m still rehabbing and we’ll see how I feel,” said Jung, who added, “I was actually worried about traveling to Incheon because of my shoulder injury. But I thought that the fans would be happy if I didn’t throw a ball and attended as much as possible without straining myself.”
Han made up for the disappointment of missing the All-Star Game with her performance. During the All-Star Game, 고스톱 온라인 Jung brought a smile to the fans’ faces as she served as the third base coach, dressed in her father’s Tigers jersey and catcher’s mask.
We won’t see much of Jung early in the second half. With only four days of rest after the first half, and a phased throwing program, he won’t return until later this month at the earliest. Kia would like to see him return to the first team at 100 percent and keep the team winning.
Jung said, “I will work hard on my rehabilitation so that I can return as soon as possible. When I return, I will focus on performing well so that the team can maintain its current leadership position,” he vowed.