Landers’ Choi Jeong likely to return from injury this week to resume KBO home run record chase

After sustaining a bruise to his left rib on an errant pitch last week, SSG Landers third baseman Choi Jeong will likely resume his chase of the all-time Korean home run record this week.Choi pulled into a tie with former Samsung Lions star Lee Seung-yuop last Tuesday with his 457th career home run in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). But Choi suffered that rib injury the very next day when he took a two-seam fastball from Kia Tigers starter Wil Crowe to his left side in the bottom of the first inning at Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, just west of Seoul.

Choi exited the game with what Landers officials initially called a broken rib. After Choi underwent further tests the following day, the Landers said Choi had suffered a rib contusion, not a fracture.The Landers did not place Choi on the injured list, as the Landers enjoyed a six-game homestand last week. Choi even took some light swings during batting practice 커뮤니티 Sunday and, according to Landers manager Lee Sung-yong, came out of the session pain free.”He told me he’d try to get ready to play Tuesday, but we’ll have to see how he feels that day,” Lee told reporters Sunday. “If he takes harder swings, he may still feel some pain. It’s hard to say at this point exactly when he’ll be ready to come back.”

After playing all six games at home last week, the Landers will open the new week on the road in Busan, some 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, with a three-game series against the Lotte Giants.They will come home again Friday to host the KT Wiz for three games starting Friday.While Choi was on the sidelines, his teammate Han Yoo-seom passed him to take the lead for this season with his 10th home run on Sunday.The next home run will give Choi the all-time record and also extend his double-digit home run streak to a record 19 seasons.Choi, 37, made his KBO debut in 2005 and has hit at least 10 home runs in every year since 2006. He has topped the KBO in home runs three times — 2016, 2017 and 2021