Professional baseball player Choi Jeong (39), the star hitter for SSG Landers who achieved the monumental feat of hitting 20 or more home runs for 11 consecutive seasons for the first time in KBO League history, is effectively out for the remainder of the season after deciding to undergo hip surgery.
Consequently, his pursuit of becoming the first player in KBO League history to reach 550 career home runs has been postponed to the 2027 season.

An official from the SSG club announced today, "As a result of receiving detailed examinations at specialized medical institutions both domestically and abroad, Choi was diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, where pain is caused by bone protrusion in the hip joint."
The official added, "Although he has received conservative treatment in the meantime, his symptoms did not improve sufficiently, and he recently received opinions from medical specialists that surgical treatment is necessary."
After a comprehensive review of his future playing career and recovery of athletic performance, Choi and the club ultimately decided on the surgery.

Choi is scheduled to undergo surgery by a specialist in the field in Colorado, USA, on August 11, followed by a rehabilitation program locally for about two weeks.
It is expected to take about six months for him to return to actual games. The club explained that this surgery is a measure to fundamentally resolve the pain and proactively prepare for the 2027 season.

Choi felt pain in his left pelvis during a game against the kt wiz on the 5th of last month, and has since played while taking painkillers and performing strengthening exercises.
In the game against the KIA Tigers on the 16th, he hit his 20th home run of the season and 538th of his career, achieving the historic milestone of 20 or more home runs for 11 straight seasons for the first time in KBO League history.
However, as the pain did not subside, he was removed from the 1st-team roster the next day and ultimately ended up going under the knife.
Choi, who ranks first in career home runs, is 12 home runs away from reaching 550.
This season, he appeared in 71 games, recording a batting average of 0.306 (78 hits in 255 at-bats), 20 home runs, 57 RBIs, 45 runs scored, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 1.012.

(Photo: Yonhap News)