Lotte Giants officials announced on June 6 that Ahn Kwon-soo will undergo surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow. Ahn Kwon-soo will undergo surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow at Cheongdam Lyon Hospital on May 8. He is expected to take about three months to return to action.

Ahn Kwon-soo was a talented baseball player who starred for Koshien at Waseda High School in Japan, but was not selected by teams in the Nippon Professional Baseball Draft. Despite not being able to fulfill his professional dreams, Ahn Kwon-su continued to play baseball in independent leagues and social baseball, until the opportunity to play in the KBO came along.

Ahn attended a tryout at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, South Korea, but due to a bad side injury, he was unable to perform to his full potential and was not selected in the KBO’s rookie draft. But then a miracle happened. The Doosan Bears called his name with the 99th overall pick in the second 10th round.

In his first season in a Doosan uniform, Ahn batted .270 (10-for-37) in 68 games, primarily as a pinch-hitter and center fielder. His batting average dropped slightly to .238 (42-for-10) in 87 games the following year, but his talent seemed to blossom in the 2022 season, when he hit .297 with 71 hits and 20 RBIs in 76 games. After the season, however, Ahn was faced with the reality of being released.

In order for Ahn to continue playing in the KBO, he would have to clear his “military service” issue, but Doosan decided to give younger 먹튀검증 players a chance. Despite the pain of being released, Ahn Kwon-soo didn’t let the offseason go to waste, and this time he was linked to the Lotte Giants. Ahn would only be able to play for one year unless he enlisted in the military, but Lotte realized that he could help the team even in a short period of time.

Even before the season began, Ahn was the “lifeblood” of the team. During spring training in Okinawa, Japan, he was a constant presence in the dugout, livening up the atmosphere. Manager Larry Sutton expressed his satisfaction with Ahn’s integration into the team with a big smile on his face.

His early season performance was also good. He was able to carve out a spot in the outfield and was part of Lotte’s “breakout” season, hitting .318 with 27 hits, two home runs, 12 RBIs, 10 runs scored, and four doubles in 22 games in April. However, Ahn’s hot streak came to a screeching halt in late April when a bone chip in his elbow that had been plaguing him became excruciatingly painful.

Ahn’s physical condition was not as good as it seemed. “He has three bone chips in his elbow,” manager Larry Sutton said before the game against the LG Twins in Jamsil on April 1. At the time, Ahn described his condition as “a miracle to even get a single hit,” and ultimately decided to undergo surgery to remove the bone fragments on Aug. 8.

Ahn, who would only be able to play this season if he didn’t serve in the military, chose to have the surgery because the pain in his elbow, which had worsened dramatically since April 30, was severe enough to interfere with his daily life beyond baseball. It wasn’t an easy decision, as he didn’t have much time left in the KBO.

When contacted by ‘My Daily’ on June 6, Ahn Kwon-soo said, “It wasn’t easy to make a decision, but I decided to have the surgery because it was hard to live. I wanted to go to the Asian Games, win a gold medal, and play a little longer…” he said, expressing his regret.

Ahn continued, “I tried for a month, but it didn’t get better. I kept changing my batting form because of the pain in my elbow. I had to hit fastballs, but I was scared to swing. I couldn’t hit fastballs because of the pain,” he said, revealing how he decided to have the surgery.

Elbow osteochondral fracture surgery can allow a player to return to the field in as little as two months if his rehabilitation is fast enough. Currently, Lotte expects Ahn to return to the field within three months. While the time away from the field will be painful, Ahn is determined to return and help Lotte lift the trophy.

“My goal is for the team to win the championship,” Ahn said. “I’m sorry to miss the regular season, but my teammates have been so supportive. I think we’ll be able to hold on. It might not work out, but I’ll do my best to rehabilitate so that I can come back at the end of the season and help a little bit,” he said, adding, “I want to show my hard work in front of the Lotte fans once again.”