KBO star Choi Jeong out for season after hip surgery

Choi Jeong, a prominent slugger for the SSG Landers and the KBO League's all-time home run leader, will undergo surgery for a hip condition, ending his season prematurely. The team announced that Choi has been diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement, caused by a bone spur in his hip joint that has been causing him pain.

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Choi received a diagnosis of femoroacetabular impingement, which causes pain due to a protruding bone in his hip.

After exhausting conservative treatment options without sufficient improvement, specialists recommended surgical intervention. The decision to proceed with surgery was made after a comprehensive review of his long-term playing career and ability to recover. Choi is scheduled to have the surgery on August 11 in Colorado, USA, followed by approximately two weeks of rehabilitation there. The expected recovery period is about six months, making his return to play this season impossible.

Choi had been experiencing pain in his left hip since early July. He continued to play, managing the discomfort with painkillers and supplementary exercises. Remarkably, on July 16, he hit his 20th home run of the season against the KIA Tigers, setting a new KBO record by achieving 11 consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs. Choi currently leads the league in career home runs with 538.

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Although conservative treatment has been ongoing, symptoms have not sufficiently improved, and recently, specialists recommended surgical treatment.

This season, before his injury, Choi posted a .306 batting average with 20 home runs and 57 RBIs in 255 at-bats. His on-base plus slugging (OPS) stood at a strong 1.013. The SSG Landers, currently in ninth place with a 34-56-3 record, are struggling, particularly with their foreign pitchers, and are out of contention for the postseason.

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He hit his 20th home run of the season... setting a KBO record for 11 consecutive seasons with 20 or more home runs.