SAN FRANCISCO – Jung Hoo Lee’s first season with the Giants is over.
Lee has a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will undergo season-ending surgery in the next two weeks, the Giants announced Friday. He suffered structural damage last weekend after crashing into the center field fence, and a second opinion on Thursday confirmed the labrum would need to be repaired surgically.
Lee said this was his second shoulder concussion. He said he’s disappointed, but plans to fight back. Through interpreter Justin Hahn, Lee said his first month in the big leagues was also “the most exciting time of my baseball life.”
Lee signed a 6-year, $113 million deal. They were hoping that the midfield would repair the weakness of the past two seasons and provide some much-needed athleticism.
Lee was installed as the leadoff hitter and started 37 games before getting hurt, hitting .262 with a .641 OPS and two homers. He has played solid defense in center field, and the Giants are pleased to say that Lee doesn’t seem to have any adjustment time from the KBO to the MLB. His bat ability translated to his ball skills, and the staff had hopes for a big summer and second half.
Without Lee, Luis Matos will get a chance to become the everyday midfielder. Since returning from Triple-A, the 22-year-old is 4-for-12 with a homer and five RBI. He was shaky in center field in the two-night series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the staff asked him to play deeper, and on Wednesday he robbed Teoscar Hernandez of a homer.
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