LG left-handed pitcher Son Joo-young completely burned down the postseason with Elijah Hernandez. He did it if asked to be a relief pitcher, and went out if asked to be out a day earlier. The reward was injury. The national flag that he dreamed of has moved on, but Son thought of fans who are worried about him first. “I have no problem preparing for next season,” Son said. “I’ll see you in the 2025 season.”
Son visited the hospital on Monday next week. He took the mound as relief pitcher in the fourth playoff game against the Samsung Lions on Wednesday last week, but had to finish pitching earlier than planned as he felt uncomfortable in his left arm. To borrow manager Yeom Kyung-yeop’s explanation, “I feel a stiff feeling in my elbow.” He didn’t have much pain, but he had to think carefully because it was a problem around his elbow. Son was diagnosed by multiple hospitals.
“I had a hospital checkup on Monday. I was diagnosed with a first degree sedentary injury to my left elbow flexor and intraperitoneal muscles,” an LG team source said on Sunday. “I will discuss with the national team whether to participate in the Premier 12 national team or not.”
LG said, “We have informed the national team of the situation. The decision is for the national team to make.” The ball is passed to the national team, but it is too much to call up players who need rest. Son will not be able to play in the Premier 12 next month.
Not only LG but also its fans were worried about the injury of its starting pitcher, a left-handed pitcher who has shown potential as a member of the national team for a long time. Son left a message for his fans who were worried about his elbow injury. After his elbow condition became known through a news report on Sunday afternoon, Son said on Instagram that he did not have to worry too much about his injury while organizing the 2024 season.
Son said, “It took eight years for me to pitch properly in front of fans in the 2024 season. As it took a long time, I will throw it in the LG Twins uniform. Thank you so much to the LG fans and the team for waiting.”
“I’ve experienced a lot this season, and I still have a lot of things to improve, but I’ll do my best to do better next season. And I really appreciate the training part that helped me to throw healthy without missing a single rotation,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed playing baseball with some of the best seniors and juniors this season. I think I prepared it so that I can do better because I want to hear more often from LG fans at the baseball stadium. I’ll do my best so that I can hear a lot of support next year!”
Son said, “My arm is in a muscular condition, so I’ll get better quickly if I rest well, so I have no problem preparing for next season. I’ll see you in the 2025 season after I get better!”
Son pitched 144 ⅔ innings in 28 games this year, becoming the first Korean player to finish the regular innings. He ranks eighth overall in ERA of 3.79 and second only to Samsung’s Won Tae-in (3.66). Since his debut in 2017, he had never played 10 games in a single season in the first team until last year, but achieved the regular innings for the first time this year, and has emerged as a special left-handed starter.
This year was the first post-season since his debut, but he displayed his potential as a “big game pitcher.” Son took the mound as relief pitcher twice in the semi-playoff, and pitched seven ⅓ without allowing a run. In Game 3 of the semi-playoff on Saturday, his debut game in the post-season, he pitched as the second pitcher, and pitched five ⅓ innings to secure a relief win. After two days of rest, he recorded two scoreless innings in Game 5 on Sunday.
In the playoffs, he took a shorter break than usual due to a series of postponements in rain. He started in the second game on Saturday, which was postponed one day while preparing for the third game on Sunday. He took the mound as a relief pitcher in the fourth game on Sunday, but failed to complete the entire inning due to elbow discomfort. Although he is not seriously injured, he will not be able to play in the national team. While taking a break for the time being, he started preparing for next season. 메이저놀이터