"I still don't have the feel."

San Francisco Giants player Lee Jung-hoo hit a 169 km/h bullet hit on the first pitch of his first at-bat in a comeback game after 9 months, but he said he still lacks hitting rhythm.

Lee Jung-hoo started as center fielder in the game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona, on the 23rd (Korea time).

On this day, San Francisco's starting lineup included Lamonte Wade Jr. (designated hitter), Marco Luciano (left fielder), Lee Jung-hoo (center fielder), Luis Matos (right fielder), Jake Lamb (first baseman), Sam Huff (catcher), Casey Schmidt (third baseman), Brett Wisely (second baseman), and Osleivis Basabe (shortstop).

Lee Jung-hoo, who underwent shoulder surgery in May last year and ended his season, recorded a solid hit in his first major league game after 286 days, finishing with 1 hit in 3 at-bats and 1 Samjin. He was substituted in the bottom of the fifth inning and finished the game.

In the first inning against Texas starting pitcher Tyler Mahle, he hit a 92.3 mph (148.5 km/h) fastball on the first pitch, resulting in a hit to right field. The batted ball had a velocity of 105.1 mph (169.1 km/h) and was a bullet-like line drive hit. Mahle is a right-handed pitcher with a career record of 33 wins and 42 losses in 126 MLB games and an earned run average of 4.32. He had a career-high season in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds, recording 13 wins and 6 losses with an earned run average of 3.75 in 33 games (180 innings).

The hit on the first pitch of his first at-bat was impressive. Local San Francisco reporters were also amazed. After being substituted in the fifth inning, when Lee Jung-hoo met with the visiting team in the clubhouse, the local reporters' first question was how he managed to get a hit on the first pitch of his first at-bat.

Lee Jung-hoo entered his first at-bat determined to swing at the first pitch. He explained, "I intended to swing no matter if the first pitch was a fastball or not. I needed to swing to see the results, and based on those results, I could tell if I was late or early. If I stand still without swinging, I wouldn't know, so I tried to swing as much as possible."

He added, "I think of it as a stage where I have to swing a lot during the exhibition games to establish my timing, so I want to keep swinging." The 9-month injury layoff is the longest of Lee Jung-hoo's baseball career. He noted that he still lacks game sense.

In the third inning, after one out, he faced right-handed power pitcher Jack Leiter and was retired by a Samjin. The first pitch, a 98.8 mph fastball, was a strike, the second pitch, a 98.5 mph fastball, was a ball. The third and fourth pitches, both curveballs, were consecutive balls. On a 3-1 count, he aimed for the fifth pitch (a 96.9 mph sinker) but fouled it off. For the sixth pitch, he swung and missed on a breaking slider (89.2 mph) that curved inward and dropped. Lee Jung-hoo lost his balance and fell while trying to stop his swing.

In the fifth inning, at his third at-bat, Lee Jung-hoo faced newly entered right-handed pitcher Jacob Webb. It was a scoring opportunity with one out and a runner on second base. The first pitch, a changeup (84.6 mph), was a foul, and he swung and missed on the second pitch fastball (93.8 mph). He hit the third pitch fastball (94 mph) but was out on a ground ball to first base due to being late.

Regarding the results of the second and third at-bats, Lee Jung-hoo said, "I was trying to keep swinging, but I think I saw the ball quite well. When I got the Samjin, I said yesterday that I still can't see the ball well. I can't distinguish between breaking balls and fastballs. I tried to stop my swing at the end, but it was already too late."

He further explained, "In my last at-bat, a changeup came on the first pitch, but I couldn't see it very well either. (With two strikes) the ball was extremely fast, so while I was thinking about the changeup, I think I was late reacting to the fastball." He added, "I need to keep hitting like that to feel it and allow my body to adapt."

Although he hit a hit with a lightning-fast swing in his first at-bat, Lee Jung-hoo said he still lacks the feel. He said, "I don’t have the feel. Right now, I think I don't have any feel. I can't tell if I'm hitting well or not; I'm just swinging."

After participating in live batting and pre-batting training at Scottsdale Stadium the day before, Lee Jung-hoo commented, "I haven’t been hitting since yesterday. I’m continually swinging and missing. I feel like I’m not getting a sense of the distance between the pitcher and myself. I can’t see the distance and the pitching tunnel well. It feels like I’ve been resting too much."

The hitting coach told Lee Jung-hoo, "It’s natural that you aren’t hitting right now, so don’t worry. Your swing looks good, so just keep swinging." From the moment he decided to swing at the first pitch, he did not waste the opportunity to hit the ball that came into the strike zone well. It was a hit born from his batting talent.

It was his comeback game after 9 months. Lee Jung-hoo said, "I had so much fun playing after a long time, and I wasn’t overwhelmed with excitement more than I expected. Now, I want to set aside the feeling of excitement. Of course, I am thrilled to be playing here, but I want to play calmly and without emotions during the game."

Lee Jung-hoo expressed, "I wanted to get through 3 at-bats today. I planned to play only until the fifth inning, but I was relieved that I made it to 3 at-bats. Although it was my first game, I feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to do today. In the next game, I want to think ahead about what I need to do and gradually regain my sense during the game."