8 weeks for left Achilles tendon treatmentChoi Ji-man (Pittsburgh Pirates), a ‘Korean big leaguer’ who will qualify as a free agent (FA) after this season, is injured and is concerned about a long-term absence.
The Pittsburgh club announced on the 20th (Korean time) that Choi Ji-man’s left Achilles tendon injury was finally confirmed. He did not need surgery, but was diagnosed with eight weeks of rehabilitation.
Choi Ji-man was placed on the injured list (IL) due to left ankle pain ahead of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on the 16th. He injured his Achilles tendon during spring training. An injury sustained in his exhibition match appears to have worsened in recent training sessions. According to his final diagnosis, Choi Ji-man will wear an ankle brace for the time being and focus on treatment.
It is the first time since his debut that Choi Ji-man has injured his Achilles tendon. He injured his left ankle in 2019 while playing for Tampa Bay and his left hamstring in 2020. In April of last year, he underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment right after being traded to Pittsburgh at the end of the season due to a right elbow injury.
Choi Ji-man’s return is expected to be mid-June at the earliest. As a result, he is expected to be unable to fill the regulation at-bat this season. Choi Ji-man, who made his big league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016, joined Pittsburgh through the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay, but he has never had a season in which he filled the regulation plate.스포츠토토 His injury is also an injury, but it is also the reason why he consistently applied the ‘platoon’ method because he is weak against left-handed pitchers.
Choi Ji-man, who was like that, was able to get FA qualification for the first time in his life if he digested this season normally. He suffered from poor batting at the beginning of the season, but is conveying even more regret after facing bad news from an injury while the pace is improving, such as hitting two home runs in the last three games. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh called up Tukupica Marcano from Triple A, who can play both infield and outfield, in place of Choi Ji-man.