Veteran right-handed pitcher Chung Chan-heon (33), who has been a stalwart on the mound for the Kiwoom Heroes in the first half of the KBO season, is facing another surgery.
Kiwoom manager Hong Won-ki said before the team’s home game against the Doosan Bears at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Feb. 22, “Unfortunately, the results of the (back) surgery are in. He prepared for the season with difficulty last winter by himself and did well in the first half of the season.”
Chung, who became a free agent at the end of last season, was unable to find a team after the start of the season before signing a late deal with Korean outfit Kiwoom.
In the first half of the season, he went 2-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 11 games in five starts, but struggled in the second half with three losses and an 8.53 ERA in three games.
In the latest game in particular, he was unable to win battles with batters by throwing pitches in the 130-kilometer-per-hour range due to the aftermath of a back injury, and was expunged from the first team roster on the 18th.
The Kiwoom club said, “He received a medical examination today (22nd) and was told that he needs surgical treatment (yellow ligament removal). The surgery schedule and rehabilitation period will be determined only after he receives a cross-check at another hospital.”
After making his debut with the LG Twins in 2008, Chung split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen with his hard-hitting fastball and guts.
He underwent cervical spine (neck) surgery in 2016 and herniated disc surgery in 2019. 카지노사이트