He smiled and brushed it off, but his heart sank. Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) tripped and fell at Oracle Park, his home stadium, for the first time in 10 months.

Lee Jung-hoo competed as the third hitter and center fielder in the spring training game against the Detroit Tigers held at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, on the 25th (Korean time), recording no hits in three at-bats with one run and one walk. His spring training batting average dropped from .300 to .273 (9 hits in 33 at-bats).

For Lee Jung-hoo, it was the first home game at Oracle Park in 316 days since the game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 13 of last year. At that time, he dislocated his left shoulder after colliding with the fence during the first inning of defense and underwent labrum repair surgery, ending his rookie season prematurely after 37 games. After undergoing eight months of rehabilitation, Lee Jung-hoo joined the spring training normally and reported his return to the home fans through a night spring training game held at Oracle Park after completing spring training in Arizona.

In his first at-bat of the first inning, Lee Jung-hoo made an out with a ground ball to second base. In the third inning, he hit a line drive down the right field line, but was thrown out by Detroit first baseman Spencer Torkelson's great defensive play. In the fifth inning, he reached first base with a walk after an eight-pitch battle, but in his last at-bat in the seventh inning, he made an out with a ground ball to first.

What caught attention more than his at-bats was the moment he tripped and fell after completing his defense. After catching a fly ball hit by Detroit's Gleyber Torres to end the inning in the first inning, Lee Jung-hoo seemed to trip while throwing the ball to the infielder.

The impact seemed strong enough that his sunglasses, which were perched on his cap, were bounced off. Fortunately, right after he fell, Lee Jung-hoo gave an awkward smile, got up immediately, picked up his sunglasses, and headed back to the third base dugout. His teammates were briefly startled, but they all smiled upon seeing Lee Jung-hoo's grin.

It was a relief that it ended with a 'body gag,' but it was a moment that made his heart sink. After suffering injuries last year, Lee Jung-hoo felt discomfort in his back last week and underwent an MRI scan. It was revealed that there were no structural damages, which relieved both Lee Jung-hoo and the San Francisco team.

Lee Jung-hoo, who received injection treatment on his back and alleviated the pain, returned to real-game action on the 24th against the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A team, after 10 days. In an interview with local media after the game, he noted, "It's so minor that I don't even want to use the word injury," expressing confidence in his physical condition.

Lee Jung-hoo might dislike even mentioning the word 'injury' as it could attach the 'injury prone' image to him. Therefore, he must be cautious both when playing and not playing. It was fortunate that the fall was not a serious issue, but it was startling. Whether he was unaccustomed to the outfield at Oracle Park after such a long absence or not, he needs to be careful. He also needs to avoid falling leaves.

The San Francisco team will play the final game of the spring training at Oracle Park against Detroit on the 26th. After a day off, they will have their season opener against the Cincinnati Reds at American Great Ball Park on the 28th. If there are no major issues, Lee Jung-hoo is expected to start.

However, in an interview on the 24th, Lee Jung-hoo said, "The opener is really important. If I am ready, of course, I will play, but the season is a long journey of 162 games. I am looking at it long-term," showing a cautious response. He is focusing on completing a full season without injuries this year. Excessive ambition and overexertion are to be avoided.

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