6:51 PM: Lee suffered a shoulder injury, according to a team announcement (correcting an earlier statement from manager Bob Melvin). Lee will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage, but the severe dislocation could put his season in jeopardy.
4:38 PM: Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee left today’s game with the Reds after suffering what the Giants later reported as a left shoulder injury. Lee made a leaping attempt to catch a Jeimer Candelario fly ball in the first inning, but the ball hit the wall for three runs, and Lee’s arm made hard contact with the pad over the fence. The nasty collision left Lee in obvious pain, and he was tending to his left arm as he walked off the field with the team’s trainer.
Manager Bob Melvin will provide the media with an update on Lee following the game, but it looks like a trip to the 10-day injured list is in order. Lee had just returned to the lineup today after missing San Francisco’s past three games with a minor foot injury, after he was fouled in Wednesday’s 8-6 win over the Rockies.
Lee’s condition adds to the Giants’ recent injury woes, as the team has already lost five IL players in the span of a week. Michael Conforto was just placed on the 10-day IL earlier today due to a strained hamstring, with Conforto joining Austin Slater (symptoms of concussion), Nick Ahmed (wrist), Jorge Soler (shoulder weight), and support holder Tom Murphy (kneeling) aside. Patrick Bailey activated from yesterday’s concussion-related seven-day IL, but it was a late start to today’s lineup, as the catcher is dealing with a viral illness and could miss a few more days.
Losing all of these regulars isn’t good news for a team that already struggled on offense, and the Giants will have some trouble on the field with Lee, Conforto, and Slater all around. Luis Matos he was called to replace Conforto’s roster today, so he will join Mike Yastrzemski, Heliot Ramosand the user Tyler Fitzgerald in trying to fill all the gaps on the outfield depth chart. LaMonte Wade Jr. again Brett Wisely it can also fit into the outer corner work, too Wade Meckler could be the next call up from Triple-A since Meckler is already on the 40-man roster.
For Lee himself, a major injury would be a sad way to start his first season in Major League Baseball. The outfielder signed a six-year, $113MM deal (the fourth-largest contract of any offseason free agent) with the Giants back in December, and the team also added an $18.825MM transfer fee to the Kiwoom Heroes, Lee’s former Korean baseball club. Organization group. Lee doesn’t turn 26 until August, so the combination of his youth and his big numbers in the KBO League made him an attractive asset in free agency, and the most important acquisition of San Francisco’s busy offseason.
The results were mixed in Lee’s first 37 games, which is not surprising for a player getting his first taste of North American baseball, let alone the big games. Lee entered today’s action hitting .262/.310/.331 over 158 plate appearances, which translates to an 89 wRC+. Pluses include strong infield defense and plenty of contact, as Lee is one of the hardest hitters to hit this season. However, Lee hasn’t done much with all of his contact, as his fastball rate is slightly above average, and he doesn’t generate much power.
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