Major Concern San Francisco Giants' Star Rookie is Out For Remainder of Year

After getting off to a great start during his Major League career, it looks like the San Francisco Giants could be without their star rookie for the rest of the season.
May 7, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee (51)
May 7, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; San Francisco Giants center fielder Jung Hoo Lee (51) / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
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The San Francisco Giants pulled of a win in extra innings over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday that gave them a much-needed series victory to kick off their nine-game homestand.

Sitting at 19-23, they'll need a huge performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies to keep them afloat in the National League playoff picture.

Unfortunately, they'll have to do that without their star rookie.

Jung Hoo Lee exited the game in the top of the first inning when he leapt for a ball in center field and crashed into the wall. He suffered a shoulder injury on the play that has been deemed a dislocated shoulder.

The Giants star stayed on the ground for several minutes as his fellow outfielders frantically called for the training staff to run out onto the field to check on him.

He will undergo an MRI to see the extent of the damage, but manager Bob Melvin does not sound confident about what the results are going to reveal.

"Not great. When he hit the wall and he went down and didn't get up, I didn't have a great feeling about it," he said according to Maria Guardado of MLB.com.

There is major fear that Sunday was the last time Lee suits up for San Francisco this season. If he suffered substantial damage to his shoulder which would severely hinder his ability to play his position and swing the bat, then they likely will shut him down for the entirety of the year.

The Giants made a huge investment in the Korean star by handing him a six-year, $113 million contract before he even played a game in Major League Baseball, but it looked like he was living up to the hype with a slash line of .262/.310/.331 through 37 games while hitting two homers, and eight RBI.

Ultimately, what comes from the MRI will determine the next steps for Lee and San Francisco, but right now, there is some major concern he'll miss the rest of 2024.


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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai