San Francisco Giants' Lee Jung-hoo demonstrated that his shoulder, which underwent surgery last year, is in perfect condition with a brilliant sliding catch. Although there were no hits, he hit a drive that was nearly a home run, indicating that his batting sense is improving.

On the 28th (Korean time), Lee Jung-hoo was a starter in center field batting third during a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium in Peoria, Arizona. He went 0-for-2 with one walk and one run scored before being substituted in the bottom of the fifth.

Although there were no hits, there were many standout moments on both offense and defense. A drive that was nearly a home run was caught right in front of the fence, and he made a fantastic sliding catch with his quick speed. He displayed impressive focus by earning a walk after going to a full count. He also showcased his speed by storming from first to home on a double by the next batter.

In the top of the first inning, with one out and a runner on second, Lee Jung-hoo faced Seattle's starting pitcher Bryce Miller. He hit a fastball at 96.9 miles per hour (155.9 km) on the second pitch. The well-hit ball flew toward the right fence but was caught by the right fielder just in front of the wall due to the strong wind.

In the third inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, Lee Jung-hoo faced right-hander Eduard Bazardo. With a full count, he watched a low slider (83 miles) outside the strike zone and struck out looking.

In the top of the fifth, with the score tied 1-1, Lee Jung-hoo faced Japanese pitcher Shintaro Fujinami with one out and a runner on first. After hitting four fouls, he drew a walk on the 10th pitch with a ball outside. On a double by Matos, Lee Jung-hoo sprinted from first to home like the wind and scored. This marked his third consecutive game scoring.

In the bottom of the fourth, playing defense with two outs and a runner on first, Lee Jung-hoo ran to the gap in right-center to make a sliding catch of a ball hit by Bliss. After having undergone shoulder surgery last year, he extended his left arm, which had been operated on, to make the catch. The umpire ruled him out, and he headed to the dugout to applause. However, the four umpires then gathered for a consensus decision, and the ruling was changed from an out to a hit. Manager Bob Melvin briefly appealed the decision, but the game continued as is.

After the game, Lee Jung-hoo expressed disappointment that his fantastic defensive play in the fourth was reversed from an out to a hit. He said, "I caught it (without a bounce). The coaches asked the video crew to check it again, and they said it was clearly caught. The bounce that occurred was off the glove." He added, "Since it's just a spring training game, it's okay. I think it was significant that I slid for the first time after surgery."

At the start of camp, the San Francisco Giants issued a 'no diving' order to Lee Jung-hoo. Everyone, including Manager Melvin, was surprised. Lee Jung-hoo explained, "They just told me not to dive forward with both arms. I had been using my legs continuously without injury, so I made the sliding catch on a ball that I wouldn't have caught otherwise. There's no problem."

Manager Melvin praised Lee Jung-hoo's defense, stating, "I was a bit nervous. It was a really excellent play. That's what he does; he knows how to play in one way. He jumps instinctively and dives instinctively."

In terms of offense, he regretted a drive that was caught in front of the fence during his first at-bat. Lee Jung-hoo stated, "The wind was blowing hard, and if it hadn’t been a headwind, it would have gone over."

He showed determination in a long battle against Fujinami, who throws a maximum of 99 miles per hour, earning a walk on the 10th pitch. Lee Jung-hoo mentioned, "He throws fastballs and his splitter drops significantly as well. I think the cutter was okay. Even though I didn’t get a hit, I reached on a walk," and added, "I had a good hit in the first at-bat, and although I struck out in the second at-bat, I'm gradually getting used to the breaking balls."

The strikeout was looking. Lee Jung-hoo noted, "It looked a bit low, but the breaking ball didn’t drop like a curve; it broke horizontally. I think I misread it at the end. It dropped less than I thought. But I'm still seeing the breaking balls little by little. In my last at-bat, I kept cutting off breaking balls like that."

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