Professional baseball player Jeon Min-jae of the Lotte Giants, who recovered from a headshot impact, made his first appearance in the Futures League.
On the 13th, Jeon Min-jae started as the first baseman in a game against the KT Wiz held at Iksan Stadium during the 2025 Futures League. Perhaps due to a lack of game sense, he recorded zero hits in five at-bats.
In the first, he hit the first pitch from KT pitcher Kang Kun but was retired on a fly out to shortstop. After one out in the third, he turned back with a strikeout after a swing and miss on the fourth pitch. In the fifth, with one out and a runner on first, Jeon faced Kang for the third time, and the runner on first was tagged out trying to steal second base. Jeon was out on a ground ball to the third baseman.
In the seventh, with two outs and runners on first and third, Jeon Min-jae had a swinging strike on the eighth pitch after a count of two balls and two strikes. As a wild pitch occurred, he ran to first base and was safe. The runner on third scored. The game was tied at 3-3. Jeon came to bat in the ninth inning with two outs and runners on first and second, and after hitting the first pitch, the game ended with a fly out to second base.
On April 29, Jeon Min-jae collapsed after being struck by a 140 km/h pitch during a game against Kiwoom. He was transported to the hospital via ambulance and underwent examinations. Fortunately, the hospital examinations showed no fractures. He was diagnosed with right anterior Chonbang hemorrhage, requiring seven days of rest. After resting for about ten days to recover his physical condition, Jeon joined the Futures team on the 9th and began technical training, making his first appearance in a second team game that day.
Last winter, Lotte and Doosan executed a massive trade, and Jeon Min-jae transferred to Lotte. Previously playing as a backup infielder for Doosan, Jeon became the starting shortstop due to his excellent performance in the early part of the season, appearing in 30 games and recording a batting average of .387 (36 hits in 93 at-bats). In particular, in April, he achieved a remarkable batting average of .423 (33 hits in 78 at-bats), becoming a lucky charm for the trade.
In the first inning, KT created an opportunity with a left-side hit from Kim Sang-soo, a wild pitch from the pitcher, and an infield hit from Kim Byeong-jun, putting runners on first and third. With a steal attempt from the runner on first to second, it became runners on second and third. The runner on third was tagged out at home during An Chi-young's ground ball to first base. Lee Seung-hyun's ground ball double play ended the inning without scoring.
In the second inning, KT seized an opportunity with a middle hit by Kang Hyun-woo, a sacrifice bunt hit from Yun Jun-hyuk, and a hit by pitch, loading the bases with no outs. Moon Sang-jun drove in the first run with a ground ball to shortstop, and Choi Seong-min added a sacrifice fly to center field, putting KT ahead 2-0.
In the fourth inning, Lotte's leadoff hitter Kim Dong-hyun reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball by the catcher. With two outs on second base, Choi Hang's clutch hit to left narrowed the gap to one run, and Park Jae-yeop's double to left-center tied the game at 2-2.
In the fourth inning, KT loaded the bases with no outs due to hit by pitch, walk, and walk, and after one out, An Chi-young's clutch hit to left regained the lead at 3-2. In the eighth inning, with the game tied at 3-3 and no outs, Yun Jun-hyuk's two-run home run gave KT a 5-3 victory.
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