San Francisco Giants Manager Praises Star Outfielder in Return From Injury

The San Francisco Giants are off to a historic 7-1 start and were going for a seventh consecutive victory on Sunday as they attempted to sweep the Seattle Mariners with their ace on the mound.

Pitching has been a hallmark of the start including some strong performances from unexpected places, though it's been the offense which has carried the load so far, ranking well within or just outside the Top 10 in baseball in virtually every major offensive category as a team including batting average, OPS, and home runs.

At the center of it all so far has been 26-year-old center fielder Jung Hoo Lee, who is entering his second season in Major League Baseball after missing the bulk of his rookie year with a shoulder injury that required surgery.

Even though it was the second major shoulder injury of Lee's career and he plays a style in center that comes with a reckless disregard for his body as he tries to catch everything that comes his way, Lee says he's not changing the way he plays the game and has head no mental blocks despite last year's injury.

"There's no fear going back there," Lee said via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. "The warning track is wide and we have padding. I'll go [all-out] there at the moment."

Lee has impressed his manager with his ability both at the plate and in the field despite playing in just 37 Major League games headed into this season.

"It feels like he never missed a beat," Bob Melvin said via Pavlovic. "Every game it seems like his timing is that much better. He's pulling balls, hitting balls up the middle, hitting it to the left-center-field gap, he's always balanced. There's a reason we got him and a reason he's hitting in the three-hole."

Lee has slashed .321/.387/.500 with nine hits including a Major League leading five doubles so far, numbers that are on par with what the Giants hoped they were getting when they gave him a six-year deal worth over $100 million last year to entice him to San Francisco.

During the 2022 season for the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO, Lee slashed a ridiculous .349/.421/.575 with 23 home runs and 113 RBI. Though the start of his career last year did not show that power gear just yet, the early portion of this season certainly has done just that.

Even though he missed so many games last year, Lee so far has looked exactly how the Giants would have hoped for him heading into his second year in the United States.

If both he and the offense around him continue to keep up their current pace, this could be a very special season ahead in the Bay Area.

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