Giants' Lee Jung-hoo hoping to return from back injury by weekend
San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee, of Korea, slaps hands as he walks through the Giants' dugout prior to a spring training baseball game against the Texas Rangers, March 13, in Scottsdale, Ariz., U.S. AP-Yonhap
Having missed more than a week of action with a tight back, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo hopes to be back on the field by the weekend.
Lee, who last played March 13, is expected to resume baseball activities Saturday (U.S. local time), according to reports out of Scottsdale, Arizona. He told reporters there Friday that he hopes to return in Sunday's spring training game against the Giants' Triple-A team, Sacramento River Cats.
Lee said he woke up with back pain one morning and his spasm grew worse, forcing him to undergo an MRI earlier this week. It showed no structural damage for the 26-year-old South Korean.
The Giants will play two more exhibition games at their home stadium, Oracle Park, against the Detroit Tigers next week, and that should give him enough time to ramp up and be ready for the start of the new season Thursday.
Lee also said he wants to take the long view.
"Opening Day is very important," Lee said via interpreter Justin Han, according to MLB.com. "If I'm ready to play for Opening Day, then of course, I'm going to be on the field. But I do want to mention that Opening Day is just a game out of 162 games. I'm just looking at this in the long run. If I'm ready, I'll be there, but if not and there's more time for me to adapt, I would like to use that time, for sure."
Lee played only 37 games in 2024 as a big league rookie before suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury in a collision with an outfield wall at Oracle. This spring, Lee has a .300 batting average with two home runs, five RBIs and an on-base slugging of .967 in 12 games. (Yonhap)