Professional baseball player Hwang Seong-bin of the Lotte Giants has entered the countdown to return as he started a rehabilitation game.

Hwang participated as the starting center fielder in the match against the LG Twins in the 2025 Futures League, held on the 3rd at the Gimhae Sangdong Stadium, recording 1 hit in 2 at-bats along with 1 walk and 1 run.

On this day, Hwang appeared as the lead-off batter in the first inning, earned a walk, and scored after Lee Tae-kyung's two-run home run. In the second inning, with 2 outs and a runner on first, Hwang faced LG's starting pitcher Kim Woong in a 10-pitch battle. After going from 1 ball and 2 strikes to a full count, Hwang fouled off 4 consecutive pitches. Ultimately, after the 10-pitch showdown, he hit a single to right field, marking his hit in his return game.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, with 1 out and a runner on first, Hwang was struck out swinging by Jo Gwon-hee. The game was only played until the bottom of the fifth, and Lotte suffered a heavy defeat, losing 3-16.

Hwang injured his left finger while sliding headfirst into first base in the 1st inning of the SSG game on May 5. Due to a detailed examination, he was diagnosed with a fracture of the 4th finger of his left hand. After undergoing surgery for plate fixation, he was prescribed a rehabilitation period of at least 8 weeks and a maximum of 10 weeks. This week marks the 8th week since the injury. Hwang's recovery progress was faster than expected, and he recorded multiple times on base, including hits and walks, starting from his return game.

As injuries plagued players like Yoon Dong-hee, Son Ho-young, Go Seung-min, and Lee Ho-jun, Lotte had effectively operated with a 1.5-string lineup, eagerly anticipating the return of injured players as the second half of the season approaches. It is a time when they can't help but miss Hwang's explosive running play and sense.

Manager Kim Tae-hyoung noted, "For now, Futures League games will only go until the 5th inning due to the scorching heat. I don't know how the game schedule will proceed from here. For now, I played today, and I will have a few more at-bats tomorrow and the day after."

For now, Lotte will play a three-game series against the Samsung Lions in the Futures League at the Gimhae Sangdong Stadium from the 4th to the 6th. Through this three-game series, Hwang is expected to regain his competitive edge and improve his batting timing. If he quickly regains his form, he might be able to return for the final three-game series against Doosan on the 8th.

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