Lee Jung-hoo hopes for healthy year as he returns to San Francisco

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Lee Jung-hoo hopes for healthy year as he returns to San Francisco

Lee Jung-hoo departs Incheon International Airport in Incheon on Jan. 13.  [NEWS1]

Lee Jung-hoo departs Incheon International Airport in Incheon on Jan. 13. [NEWS1]

 
Entering his second year as outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, Lee Jung-hoo said Monday he would love nothing more than to stay healthy in 2025.
 
Lee left for the United States on Monday to prepare for his second season in MLB. Lee was limited to just 37 games as a rookie in 2024, due to a shoulder injury he suffered while trying to make a leaping catch at the outfield wall at Oracle Park in San Francisco on May 12.
 

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Lee, who signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the Giants in December 2023, finished his rookie campaign with a .262/.310/.331 batting line, two home runs, eight RBIs and two steals.
 
Lee, the 2022 regular-season MVP in the KBO for the Kiwoom Heroes, batted .340 in seven seasons in Korea, the highest lifetime batting average in KBO history among batters with at least 3,000 plate appearances.
 
Because of his season-ending injury, Lee didn't have enough of an opportunity to demonstrate his bat-to-ball skills in 2024. Now that he's back to full health, Lee said he wants to prove he belongs in the majors.
 
Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants in action during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on May 8, 2024.  [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants in action during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on May 8, 2024. [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

 
"First and foremost, my goal is to play the full season without getting hurt," Lee told reporters at Incheon International Airport, in Incheon. "And hopefully, I can help the team get to the postseason, too."
 
Lee said the Giants sent a team trainer to Korea to work with him and help him follow the rehab schedule. Having done plenty of work in the gym, Lee said he is itching to get into some baseball action on the field.
 
"I am in the process of addressing that problem, and if it all goes well, I should be able to start driving the ball better," Lee said. "Even though I only played a little bit last year, I still think I showed something noteworthy. For now, I am going to stick to what I've been doing all along."
 
Lee said he is also looking forward to going up against his former Heroes teammate and good friend Kim Hye-seong, who signed with the Giants' bitter National League West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, on Jan. 3.
 
Lee and Kim were both drafted by the Heroes in 2016 and spent seven seasons together. Lee had a far more illustrious career in the KBO — he won the Rookie of the Year in 2017 while Kim only played 16 games then.
 
Lee said he had stayed in touch with Kim throughout the negotiating process and congratulated Kim on joining the 2024 World Series champions.
 
"We've been playing together since the days of the youth national team. I have nothing but great memories of playing with him," Lee said. "I am so happy to see us both play in the U.S. at the same time. It feels surreal."
 
When their two teams collide, the two Korean players will have to put their friendships aside, given the longstanding animosity between the California clubs.
 
"Fans will boo players on the other team during introduction," Lee said. "In the KBO, we usually have a lot of fans for the visiting team and the mood is fairly neutral. In the majors, it's a lot more partisan, and I think it's going to be fun for Hye-seong."
 
Last year, Lee went head-to-head against another ex-Heroes teammate and close friend, then San Diego Padres shortstop Kim Ha-seong.
 
Kim is a free agent now. Though the Giants were linked to Kim early in the offseason, they ended up signing another shortstop, Willy Adames, a move that seemed to have ruled out the possibility of a Lee-Kim reunion by the bay.
 
"I just hope he signs a good contract and plays well for his new team, wherever he may go," Lee said. "I hope to hear some good news from his end soon."

Yonhap
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