Four days after becoming a father, Lee Yoo-chan (Doosan Bears), who injured his elbow, is slowly starting to make his comeback from the second team. However, since he has been focused on rehabilitation without any actual games for nearly two months, it is expected to take some time before returning to the first team.

Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yeop met with reporters at Jamsil Stadium last weekend and shared the latest on 'super utility' Lee Yoo-chan, who is undergoing long-term rehabilitation.

Manager Lee Seung-yeop explained, "I received a report that (Lee) Yoo-chan has now started pre-batting. It wasn't a simple injury, so I expected it to take time, and I've heard that the training staff has prepared a lot for Lee Yoo-chan's rehabilitation."

Lee Yoo-chan suffered an unexpected injury in the top of the fourth inning while starting as the first left fielder in the away game against the Lotte Giants, held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on April 6.

Lee Yoo-chan successfully reached base by hitting an infield single toward the shortstop with no outs and a runner on first base. He then advanced to third base after coming home from second through Jeong Soo-bin's single and Yang Eui-ji's sacrifice fly. When Yang Seok-hwan hit a short fly ball to center field, he attempted to tag up and score. Lee Yoo-chan made a head-first slide into home plate but collided head-on with Lotte catcher Yoo Kang-nam and lay on the ground, visibly in pain.

Lee Yoo-chan rose to his feet with the help of a trainer but left the game heading to the dugout while holding his left arm. Despite displaying determination by playing until the end of the fourth inning, he was ultimately replaced by Kim In-tae as a pinch hitter in the top of the fifth.

The diagnosis for Lee Yoo-chan, who underwent a hospital examination on the 7th, was damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. After a week and a half of being in a cast, he underwent a reevaluation three weeks later but is currently undergoing uncertain rehabilitation without playing in the Futures League for 50 days.

Capable of playing both infield and outfield, Lee Yoo-chan has played 12 games this season, with a batting average of .300, 34 RBIs, 6 runs, 3 stolen bases, and an OPS of .764, with a batting average of .500 in scoring situations. In particular, just before his injury, he performed strongly in a weekend three-game series against Lotte, hitting .500 with 2 RBIs and 2 stolen bases, making his injury more disappointing as he was benefiting from what is termed 'formula milk buff' after the birth of his first son on April 3.

Manager Lee Seung-yeop said, "The absence of (Lee) Yoo-chan is significant. He is our top player in hitting, defense, and base running. I want to see him back quickly, but it won't happen just from my desire," adding, "Now that he has started batting, he will likely join the team next week, gradually increasing the training intensity, and if all goes well, he may even get scheduled for Futures League games. The game schedule has not been announced yet."

When asked if Lee Yoo-chan could return in June, Manager Lee Seung-yeop could not give a definite answer. He stated, "Since he hasn't played an actual game for over a month, I think one or two Futures League games won't be enough. He needs to raise his game sense, and his batting needs to be prepared to be usable in the first team. I want to see him contribute in all aspects—hitting, defense, and base running—so he needs to play many games before returning."

With Lee Yoo-chan falling out of the lineup along with Kwak Bin and Hong Gun-hee, the Doosan Bears are struggling in 9th place, 2.5 games behind the 8th place Kia Tigers. This is why Manager Lee Seung-yeop has expressed a desire to see Lee Yoo-chan back quickly, as his return is expected to be key to Doosan's summer resurgence plan.

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