Lotte Giants outfielder Ahn Kwon-soo has undergone a medical examination regarding a bone chip in his elbow that has been bothering him recently. Lotte will review his training sessions and the examination data to determine the timing of his surgery.
After being released by the Doosan Bears last year, Ahn Kwon-soo joined Lotte ahead of this season and has been a surprise hitter. In 39 games this season, Ahn hit .281 with 38 hits, two home runs, 16 RBIs, 10 doubles and a .336 on-base percentage.먹튀검증
After batting .318 (27-for-85) in April, Ahn cooled off a bit in May, batting .220 (11-for-50). The reason for his slump in May was a bone spur in his elbow. The bone chips in his elbow have been affecting both his batting and defence.
Eventually, Ahn had to make a decision about the bone chips in his elbow, as his playing time had dwindled considerably in recent years. On 5 June, Ahn Kwon-soo travelled to a hospital in Seoul to undergo a detailed diagnosis of the bone chips in his elbow.
A Lotte representative told MK Sports on 5 June, “Ahn Kwon-soo has undergone a medical examination regarding the bone chip problem in his elbow that has been bothering him recently. Tomorrow (6 June), we plan to decide whether or not to operate on him by watching his training sessions and the results of the examination.”
Elbow bone chip surgery usually takes three to four months to return to play. Most recently, Doosan outfielder Kim Jae-hwan underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in late October last year and was able to participate in spring training in February this year. However, the silver lining is that the rehabilitation period may be shorter depending on the type of elbow debridement surgery.
“If it’s a simple surgery to remove a small piece of bone that’s floating around in the elbow, it’s possible to recover in two months. In that case, Ahn Kwon-soo may be able to make a full recovery in the second half of the season, around August. On the other hand, if it’s a more major operation, such as scraping away bone, it’s likely to take three to four months or more. In that case, if he can’t come back in time for September, it will be difficult for him to make an easy decision.”
With Jack Rex returning to the first team after recovering from a knee injury, it’s only positive in the long run that the decision on Ahn’s surgery is made as soon as possible. It is better for the team to have Ahn at 100 per cent in time for the regular season finale in September and the postseason in October.
Another Lotte official said, “In his current condition, we can only use Ahn Kwon-soo as a pinch-hitter or a catcher. The player himself will also be under pressure due to his elbow problem. Hwang Sung-bin, Rex, Yoon Dong-hee, Ko Seung-min, and Kim Min-seok can all play in the outfield, so I think it would be more positive for both the player and the team if Ahn Kwon-soo came back with his elbow problem completely resolved.”
Lotte has been able to build on its early-season surge this season thanks to its deep outfield depth. The gap between starters and backups has narrowed, making it much easier for the bench to operate. Despite their lack of overwhelming batting stats, they have been able to come up with crucial runs in crucial situations thanks to the even performance of their outfielders. His .304 batting average, the only one in scoring position, is a testament to that.
The fact that Lotte is considering surgery for Ahn Kwon-soo also explains the team’s depth. Now, Lotte can take the long view and make a choice that will make the team stronger at the end of the season, rather than rushing to make a decision in the immediate future. It will be interesting to see what the timing of Ahn Kwon-soo’s elbow surgery will be.