Kiwoom Outfielder Lee Joo-hyung Out for Season Due to Recurring Thigh Injury

▲ Kiwoom's Lee Joo-hyung

Kiwoom Heroes outfielder Lee Joo-hyung (25) has been ruled out for the remainder of the professional baseball season due to injury.

The Kiwoom club announced today (June 26) that "Lee Joo-hyung, who was substituted during yesterday's game due to pain in his right hamstring, was diagnosed with a partial tear of the right biceps femoris following two detailed examinations today."

Lee, who has been plagued by recurring thigh injuries since 2024, has already been sidelined from the first team twice this season due to the same issue.

After recovering from his injury, he returned to the first team for yesterday's game against the KIA Tigers. He felt discomfort while playing center field in the top of the first inning and was substituted after taking his at-bat in the bottom of the first.

Lee joined the Kiwoom Heroes through a trade in 2023, when the team began its full-scale rebuilding process.

At the time, following Lee Jung-hoo's (San Francisco Giants) season-ending injury, Kiwoom traded starting pitcher Choi Won-tae to the LG Twins to acquire Lee as a future asset.

In his first year with Kiwoom in 2023, Lee showed great potential, posting a .326 batting average with 6 home runs, 36 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.897.

However, hampered by injuries, he did not grow as expected, recording a .266 batting average, 13 home runs, and 60 RBIs in 2024, and saw his performance decline further last year with a .240 batting average, 11 home runs, and 45 RBIs.

This season, he was limited to a .245 batting average, 2 home runs, and 12 RBIs in 24 games.

A thigh injury requires rest.

The Kiwoom club has decided to give Lee time for a full recovery.

The club explained, "We determined that it is necessary to provide ample time for treatment and rehabilitation to prevent the recurrence of the thigh injury and ensure a complete recovery."

To this end, the club also decided to have him undergo surgery to remove bone fragments from his right elbow during his recovery period.

(Photo: Courtesy of Kiwoom Heroes, Yonhap News)

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