19guide03   Album Posted Oct.11th, 2023, viewed 321 times

KIA's Choi Won-jun 'out for the season' with calf injury after playing less than 1 game for AG

Rehabilitation takes 6-8 weeks

KIA Tigers outfielder Choi Won-jun, 26, will be out for the season due to a calf injury.

According to a KIA official on Tuesday, Choi was diagnosed with microscopic damage to his left calf fascia and muscle after a medical examination. The rehabilitation period will take six to eight weeks.

Choi was selected as a wild card to the Korean baseball team for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, but he did not play in any of the six games. Team manager Ryu Jung-il said of Choi, "I was hit in the left calf by a ball. It's not comfortable for him to play right now, so he's undergoing treatment."

While the team won the gold medal and completed the feat of winning four consecutive Asian Games, Choi was unable to contribute to the team due to his injury.

Choi, who retired from the Korean Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Commerce) in June of this year, provided a boost to the team's offense and defense. In 67 games, he batted .255 with one home run, 23 RBIs, 13 doubles, and an OPS of 0.672. He even showed off his hot bat last month when he had three consecutive multi-hit games ahead of his call-up to the national team.

Choi's departure is a huge blow for KIA. At a time when they are in a tight postseason race, they have been plagued by a string of injuries to their main players. Previously, Na Sung-beom (34), Choi Hyung-woo (40), and Park Chan-ho (28) were declared out for the season due to injuries, and now Choi Won-jun has been ruled out. 한국야동