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MLB stars Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Ha-seong suffer injuries Sunday

Published: 13 May. 2024, 10:58 Updated: 13 May. 2024, 17:12

JIM BULLEY
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Left: San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo is escorted to the locker room after an injury in the first inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds in San Francisco on Sunday. Right: San Diego Padres' Kim Ha-seong holds his wrist after being hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in San Diego on Sunday. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea’s two biggest baseball stars both sustained injuries that took them out of their respective Major League Baseball games on Sunday, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres taking a pitch to the wrist and Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants exiting after crashing into the outfield fence.

Giants center fielder Lee injured his left shoulder while trying to catch a double from Cincinnati Reds hitter Jeimer Candelario at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Lee jumped to make the catch but the ball bounced off his glove and off the wall into play as Lee fell to the floor and grabbed his left shoulder. His teammates called for the trainers and Lee was led off the field with a trainer supporting his left arm.

San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo, third from left, is escorted to the locker room by a trainer after an injury in the first inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds in San Francisco on Sunday. [AP/YONHAP]

Sunday’s game had marked Lee’s return to the squad after missing the three previous games. He was beaned during Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.

"Not great," manager Bob Melvin said after the game. "When he hit the wall and he went down and didn't get up, I didn't have a great feeling about it."

Lee will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, according to Melvin.

Lee is batting .262 in his debut season with the Giants, with 38 hits, eight RBIs and two home runs on his line. If his injury does prove to be serious, he will be the sixth Giants position player to go down in the last week.

“We’re going through it right now,” Melvin said. “Sometimes it happens in bunches. It seems like that’s the case at this point.”

Down in San Diego, Padres shortstop Kim took a pitch to his left wrist at the bottom of the fourth during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego and was removed at the top of the following inning.

The pitch, a sinker from Walker Buehler, was traveling at 94.4 miles per hour when it hit Kim’s wrist, according to MLB.com. Kim was immediately seen by the team trainer, but then went on to run the bases. He was forced out at second base and left the game shortly after.

San Diego Padres shortstop Kim Ha-seong reacts after being hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego on Sunday. [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

Kim underwent X-rays on his arm shortly after the injury and they came back negative, according to Padres manager Mike Shildt. With no broken bones, Kim could avoid a stint on the injured list and make it back into the squad over the next few days.

Gold Glove winner Kim is batting .208 with 31 hits, 21 RBIs and five home runs on his line so far.

The Padres are back in action immediately on Monday as they host the Rockies at Petco Park. Kim could still make an appearance in that three-game series, or when the San Diego team heads on the road to face the Atlanta Braves at the end of the week.

The Giants continue their home stand as they host California rivals the Dodgers from Monday, before facing the Rockies again at the end of the week.

BY JIM BULLEY [[email protected]]