Could it have been the father's sense of responsibility? The 'rookie dad' Lee Yoo-chan (Doosan Bears), who rushed toward the plate defended by the indestructible representative catcher of professional baseball, eventually suffered a serious injury.
Doosan Bears excluded infielders Lee Yoo-chan and Kim Min-hyuk from the first team roster on the 7th, when there were no games.
The reason for the cancellation of 'versatile multi-man' Lee Yoo-chan is injury. Lee Yoo-chan was selected as the number one left fielder in the away game against the Lotte Giants on the 6th and suffered an unexpected injury in the fourth inning.
Lee Yoo-chan appeared on first base, successfully reaching base with an infield hit toward the shortstop. He then moved to third base after Jung Soo-bin's single and Yang Eui-ji's sacrifice fly to right field, and he intended to score at home plate after tagging up on Yang Seok-hwan's short fly ball to center field. Lee Yoo-chan maintained his drive and executed a head-first slide, but collided head-on with Lotte catcher Yoo Kang-nam, lying on the ground in considerable pain.
Lee Yoo-chan stood up with the trainer's help and left for the dugout while touching his left arm. He demonstrated remarkable willpower by completing the defensive play until the end of the fourth inning, but was ultimately replaced by pinch hitter Kim In-tae in the fifth inning.
Lee Yoo-chan complained of pain in his left elbow and headed to the hospital on the 7th. The examination result indicated a diagnosis of collateral ligament damage, and a re-examination was scheduled for three weeks later. A Doosan official noted, "For now, we will take a week of half-cast measures."
Lee Yoo-chan, who can play both infield and outfield, was performing well this season with a batting average of .300, 6 RBIs, 3 runs scored, 3 stolen bases, and an OPS of .764 in 12 games. In particular, he batted .500 with 2 RBIs and 2 stolen bases in the weekend three-game series against Lotte, but the unexpected injury means at least a month of absence is unavoidable. Lee Yoo-chan was injured while benefiting from the so-called formula milk buff after the birth of his first son on the 3rd.
Doosan is experiencing an overwhelming number of injuries compared to other teams in the early part of the season. Following the injury of homegrown ace Kwak-bin and key reliever Hong Geon-hee just before the season started, Lee Byung-hun took a break due to gastroenteritis, and foreign hitter Jake Cave has been resting after being removed from the roster since the 31st of last month due to cold symptoms. As injured players gradually return, another setback has occurred with the versatile Lee Yoo-chan stepping out of the lineup.
Doosan plans to register two new faces ahead of their first match against Hanwha Eagles at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 8th.
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