“I feel sorry for (Ha) Jae-hoon, even though he is sick.”
SSG coach Kim Won-hyung expressed his feelings for outfielder Ha Jae-hoon (33), who was expunged from the first team roster on the 12th due to a left thumb injury.
Ha started the game against the NC on Nov. 11 as the No. 6 hitter and right fielder and played through the ninth inning without being replaced. In hindsight, he played through the injury.
That day, with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and down 2-4, he hit a single to left off NC starter Taylor Widener and stole second base. The dugout signaled for the steal, and Ha ran as hard as he could, sliding head-first and touching second base with his left hand. In the process, Ha fractured his left thumb. His successful steal allowed him to cross the plate in time for the next batter, Lee Jung-bum, to hit a single to tie the game at 4-4.안전놀이터
“I didn’t even know he was injured because he didn’t show it during the game,” Kim said ahead of the game against KT at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Nov. 13. “Jae-hoon plays with that kind of heart. That’s why I feel even more sorry for him,” he said, adding, “I still want to use the word ‘rough’ to describe his unselfish play.”
Ha took time to rehabilitate in the spring training leading up to the start of the season after fracturing his shoulder while trying to catch a ball with his body during defense. After shaking off the injury, Ha returned to the first team on March 24, where he was batting .342 with a 1.024 on-base percentage (OPS) in 14 games. Nineteen days after returning to the first team, he was sidelined again with a fracture, and the timing of his return will be determined by the results of a reexamination in two weeks.
“He needs time to heal, and since it’s a finger injury, he won’t be able to do any other batting practice for a while,” Kim said, adding, “It’s unfortunate that Jae-hoon got hurt at such an important time for both him and the team.”