Koo Ja-wook (31), the heart of the Samsung Lions, is back. Attention is focusing on whether he will be able to contribute to Samsung, which has one step left to the Korean Series after returning from treatment in Japan after injury.
Koo Ja-wook returned home through Incheon International Airport at 7:40 p.m. on the 18th. He stepped on Korean soil exactly three days after leaving for the Ijima Treatment Center in Yokohama, Japan on the 16th to treat his injury.
Samsung manager Park Jin-man (58) said in a manager interview after the fourth game of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO postseason playoff (PO) against the LG Twins was canceled by rain at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 18th, “(former) Ja-wook will enter the country this evening and receive his last hospital treatment,” adding, “Yesterday, I was a little uncomfortable walking, but now the pain has almost decreased.”
Koo Ja-wook, who wore the captain’s armband this season, forgot the burden and led Samsung to the second place in the regular season by posting a career-high season with a batting average of 0.343, 33 home runs, 115 RBIs, 92 runs and 13 steals, 0.417, a slugging percentage of 0.627 and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 1.044 in 129 games. He played a role as a bridge between young guns and veterans who have grown rapidly this season, contributing greatly to the team’s perfect harmony.
His performance in fall baseball was even more remarkable. At the end of the third inning, when the team in the first round of the PO was leading 1-0 on the 13th, Koo Ja-wook hit a three-run home run that destroyed Choi Won-tae, who had an overwhelming pitch with one win and an ERA of 0.84 in two games against Samsung this season. Since then, Samsung’s batters have exploded and won 10-4.
After the first round match, however, Koo could not be found in an interview with Su-hoon. Perhaps due to the sudden relaxation of tension after the victory, he vomited and even felt sick, which forced him to visit a hospital. This part demonstrates the great sense of responsibility that he had to shoulder as a captain.
He also opened the scoring for his batters in the second game. Taking the batter’s box in the bottom of the first inning when his team was losing 0-1, Koo hit a hit with two outs against Son Joo-young, another “Samsung killer” and the hottest player in the semi-PO, and managed to steal a base. During the process, he was injured by strong collision of his left knee with the ground, but limped off when Lewin Diaz doubled without a replacement, before scoring a tying goal. It was a series of fighting spirit. He was replaced when playing defense in the top of the second inning, but the Samsung players solidified and hit five home runs to secure a 10-5 victory. It is no exaggeration to say that Koo woke up Samsung’s offense in the first and second games.
However, the aftermath of the injury was bigger than expected. The hospital’s detailed examination revealed that Koo was diagnosed with micro-damage to the medial ligament in his left knee, and a source from his team said that it would be difficult for him to play in the third and fourth games.
Even after winning the second match, coach Park Jin-man said, “I’m not excited even though I won. Koo Ja-wook is our mainstay. I’m in a lot of pain,” but added, “I’ll still accompany him to the away game in Jamsil. He is a player who fully plays that role because he is a captain.”
Koo couldn’t be satisfied with his role as a dugout leader. Koo decided to leave the team for a while in order to return to the team faster. He gave up playing in away games at Jamsil Stadium and boarded a plane for Japan on Wednesday, the day after his injury. Koo was rushed to return to the team after receiving electric treatment at the site, where many KBO players had been visiting for emergency rehabilitation.
Hopeful news came. It was that Koo Ja-wook’s condition was in remission. Coach Park Jin-man, who sat in front of the reporters ahead of Game 3 on the 17th, said, “We exchanged messages. I heard that the pain has definitely subsided and he is not putting crutches on it,” and added, “However, he said he has pain when walking without crutches yet. It is said that each player has a different recovery speed. We need to see how much his condition has improved.”
As Game 4 was canceled due to rain, Koo earned a day’s worth of time. Koo said he would not be able to play in Games 3 and 4, so he could stay in Japan and receive treatment more clearly, but he returned home on Wednesday afternoon as scheduled. According to a Samsung official, he originally planned to return to Korea via Gimhae International Airport and take a break in Daegu, but changed the route. He returned to Korea via Incheon International Airport and underwent treatment again at a hospital in Seoul. The move is aimed at confirming whether he will play in the game through final treatment. Although he could have spent more time in rehabilitation, the fact that he chose to return to Korea proves that he is in a better physical condition.
The most important thing now is whether Koo will play in the fourth round. “We need to check our physical condition for sure. We will see,” Park said. “But he is said to have improved for sure from yesterday. We will see the results of the hospital examination.”
Koo is staying in Seoul with his teammates. When asked if Koo will visit Jamsil Stadium in the fourth game, Park replied, “Since I am in Seoul anyway, I think I will stay here as long as I am here after the hospital treatment (on July 18).” 메이저놀이터
No matter how quickly his physical condition recovered, the pain still remains. Running base and defense are not expected to be easy right away. In other words, it means that the possibility of starting is very slim.
However, the situation is different when it comes to pinch hitters. Koo, who was the most dreadful batter for Samsung throughout the season, was the starter for its batters who exploded in the first and second games. On the other hand, in the third game, when Koo was absent, only two pitchers – Lim Chan-kyu and Elijah Hernandez – eliminated nine innings. It is true that the two pitchers pitched so well, but the absence of the captain was more painful in that there were no players to ignite the firepower of the batters Koo Ja-wook showed in the first and second games.
Coach Park Jin-man is using the right players at the right place throughout the series. If the fourth match comes, it will not be easy to turn a blind eye to the attractive card of Koo Ja-wook, as he is expected to bring out a card to end the series.
