They weren’t even in the must-win group this year. It’s been more than a month since he was released from the first team.

But interest in the Lotte Giants’ Choi Jun-yong, 22, is still high. Although he never made it to fall baseball, Choi’s impact in the 2020-2022 season was just as strong.

On Thursday, Choi appeared in the dugout at Sajik Stadium before a game against the Busan Hanwha Eagles. The media’s attention was understandably focused on him.

He hadn’t played in the first team since being waived on May 17 due to micro-inflammation in his back. The bright smile on his face was still there. He exchanged a few words with the press before heading to the bullpen.

With the current schedule, it’s unlikely that Choi will return before the end of the first half. Lotte manager Larry Sutton said the same.

“He did a long toss today. It was a procedure for the pitching coaches to check how far he has come in his recovery. It was also a time for him to talk with his first-team teammates after a long time.”

Sutton added, “Today was just a physical day. There’s still some work to do with the second team. I’ve got to get some second team practice in,” he said, adding that he has no plans to accompany the first team.

Choi Jun-yong has been a sensation in the Lotte bullpen with a fastball that has been called “the best in the league. At the beginning of last year, he was playing as a closer as well as a reliever, hoping to make the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games. 먹튀검증

However, after the first half of last year, he was unable to regain his form. This year, he only pitched seven innings in nine games. In the meantime, Park Se-woong and Na Kyun-an will be the only Lotte players to compete in the Asian Games.

Earlier, Sutton described Choi’s recovery as “80 to 90 percent”. There is no set date for his return, but it is expected to be around the All-Star Game (July 15) at Sajik Stadium.