Koo Chang-mo (26), the left-handed homegrown ace of the NC Dinos of the KBO, has been sidelined again.
According to the NC on Wednesday, Koo was diagnosed with a micro-injury to his left forearm (between the elbow and wrist) flexor.
However, the club explained that the injury was closer to the wrist than the elbow, where he has a history of surgery, and the injury was not severe.
He will undergo rehabilitation training for about three weeks, after which a specific return schedule will be set.
Koo started the previous day’s game against the visiting LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul and voluntarily left the game after throwing five pitches in the first inning due to discomfort in his left arm.
For Koo, it’s unfortunate that the warning lights came on in September of this year when he was selected for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
After posting a 3.26 ERA in nine games this season, Koo looked like a lock to make the Asian Games roster, but an injury has put that in doubt.
The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) and the Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) will announce the final roster for the Asian Games in the coming days.
If Koo fails to make the Asian Games roster, he will lose the possibility of military service benefits and will have to enlist in the Merchant Marine in December.
He was named on the final list of successful applicants for the Armed Forces Athletic Corps, which was announced on Jan. 1.
His enlistment will also change the terms of his contract with NC.
When Koo signed a multi-year, 13.2 billion won ($13.2 million) non-free agent (FA) contract with NC last December for up to seven years, he included a clause regarding military service. If he enlists in the military, his contract will be extended for the duration of his service.
Since his professional debut, Koo has been plagued by injuries at crucial times.
This is why he was unable to fulfill his military obligation, missing out on national team opportunities such as the 2019 WBSC Premier 12 and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
He has never pitched a full regulation innings (144).
He missed the opening day roster in 2019 with a strained right adductor muscle and then missed the fall with a strained back before the postseason wild-card game.
In July 2020, he was sent down to the second team for the offseason and discovered inflammation in his forearm, and rehab revealed another source of pain, a microfracture, which allowed him to return three months later.안전놀이터
As he continued his rehabilitation, in July 2021, he underwent surgery to have pelvic bone cells transplanted into his left ulna (the bone below the elbow) and missed the entire 2021 season.
It was a bumpy road that included a strained right hamstring muscle, but he made his first team return on May 28 last year. It was his first first-team appearance in 552 days since Nov. 23, 2020.