Lotte Giants’ top prospect Kim Jin-wook (22) finally failed to join the military two days before joining the military.
Lotte Giants announced on the 29th that their enlistment was canceled through the military athletic unit Sangmu Baseball Team, which was scheduled for December 1, saying, “I applied for cancellation of the enlistment due to Kim Jin-wook’s injury in mid-November.”
The injury was ultimately a problem. Kim Jin-wook has been confirmed to have suffered a rupture in the medial side of his left elbow. “He will undergo rehabilitation training and treatment at the same time,” Lotte said.
Kim Jin-wook, who has suffered various trials and errors since his debut as a professional player, has a lot of challenges to deal with including resolving military service issues and rehabilitating injuries in the future.
When he was an amateur, he still had high expectations. When he was a student at Gangneung High School, Kim Jin-wook was a left-hander who dominated the high school stage by throwing fastballs that flew well over 150 kilometers per hour. Lotte also did not hide its expectations by paying a down payment of 370 million won (390,000 U.S. dollars) when it named Kim Jin-wook as the No. 1 overall pick in the second round in 2021.
As Kim Jin-wook, who was highly regarded for his completeness, many predicted that he would settle down quickly in the professional league. However, Kim Jin-wook only performed poorly in 39 games in 2021, his first year after his debut, with four wins, six losses and eight holds, and a 6.36 ERA in 14 games in 2022. Although his ball control remained strong, he allowed 49 walks and three pitches in 45.2 innings in 2021, and 35 walks and eight pitches in 46.2 innings in 2022.
He also found a clue for a reversal. Kim Jin-wook had good performance of 2-1 with five holds and an earned run average of 1.61 through May last year, which seemed to be establishing himself as a special left-hander that Lotte had been waiting for. However, after a slump, he played 36.1 innings, and ended up with only 2-1 with eight holds and an earned run average of 6.44.
Kim Jin-wook had a five-star competition in 2024, but failed to make it to the opening entry. He belatedly joined the main team and recorded four wins, three losses and a 5.31 ERA in 19 games, as he played 84.2 innings in a single season, the most since his debut as a pro player. Although it was disappointing in many ways this season, he also showed better ball control than the bullpen after switching to a starting pitcher. 온라인카지노
Lotte suggested Kim Jin-wook to join the military early on during the season, and the player also accepted the offer. After applying for Sangmu, he was finally accepted and was waiting to join the military.
Kim Jin-wook, however, underwent a hospital examination due to lingering pain in his left elbow until recently. He was also diagnosed with a partial rupture of collateral ligaments inside the elbow. Rehabilitation is expected to take about two months. Finally, after much consideration, he decided to cancel his enlistment.
It is unclear what the outcome of the postponement of the enlistment in Sangmu will be. If Kim Jin-wook finishes his rehabilitation smoothly and shows good performance in the 2025 season, there is a good chance that he will have a chance to join the military again. It can also be interpreted that there is time for the 2025 season to prepare for a rebound.
However, if he fails to produce good results, he could end up delaying his enlistment by one more year. Kim Jin-wook is in a difficult situation in many ways.
