The Giants informed reporters this evening about the rookie center fielder Jung Hoo Lee will undergo surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder (X link via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). He will miss the rest of the season.
Lee was one of the top signings last season. San Francisco inked the KBO star to a six-year, $113MM deal after being shipped out by the Kiwoom Heroes. It was the fourth-biggest free agent signing of the winter, second only to him Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto again Aaron Nola deals. Lee's age was a key factor, as he was only 25 years old. The Giants saw him as a top hitter who could handle center field every day.
The left-handed batsman appeared in 37 games in his debut campaign. He hit .262/.310/.331 with two homers over 158 plate appearances. It wasn't a great showing, but Lee was only successful on 8.2% of his trips to the plate and generally made hard contact. Many of his batted balls were hit on the ground, reducing his power ceiling, but it seemed reasonable to give him a solid percentage as he continued to gain experience against MLB pitching.
This is the second year in a row that Lee's season has been shortened. He appeared in 86 games before suffering a left ankle injury that required surgery in his final season in Korea. He suffered a shoulder injury – a disability in addition to a labrum injury – when he crashed into a wall at Oracle Park in an attempted robbery. Jeimer Candelario extra-base hit on Sunday. San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters (including The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly) that Lee had another procedure on his left shoulder while in Korea in 2018. This surgery comes with a six-month rehabilitation process, so he should be ready for Spring Training.
San Francisco has a staggering 11 players on the injured list right now. Lee is one of six players on the shelf, including three outfielders. Michael Conforto again Austin Slater are also out right now. The Giants are also without a shortstop Nick Ahmed and their expected catching tandem Patrick Bailey again Tom Murphy.
Losing Lee this season is arguably the biggest hit the Giants have taken so far. The second player Luis Matos he stepped in as the center's best player in his absence. Matos hit .250/.319/.342 with two homers in 76 games during his rookie campaign. He had a slow start this season at Triple-A Sacramento, hitting .218/.308/.355 in 143 trips to the plate. Mike Yastrzemski again Heliot Ramos looking at him from the corners.
The Giants will move Lee to the 60-day disabled list when their next 40-man roster need arises. They will need to get him back for the rest of the season. He will make $16MM next season, $22MM in 2026-27 and $20.5MM annually in the final two seasons of his contract. He can opt out after the 2027 campaign.
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