SEOUL, SSG Landers designated hitter Choo Shin-soo has been diagnosed with a rotator cuff injury and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Wednesday.
Choo, 41, is the oldest player in the South Korean league this season, and he announced in December last year that this would be his final season.
Choo has played in just 20 of the Landers’ 37 games this season due to injuries. He was struck by a pickoff throw in the hand on the first day of the season on March 23 and only returned on April 11. Then on Tuesday, the Landers removed him from their active roster with shoulder problems.
“Choo Shin-soo went through a test today and it showed damage to the rotator cuff in his right shoulder,” the Landers said in a press release. “He will need about four weeks of rehab and then will be re-evaluated.”
Choo, the 2018 American League All-Star for the Texas Rangers, signed with the Landers before the 2021 season.
His numbers have been falling across the board since that f
irst year here. He had 21 homers and 25 steals with a .409 on-base percentage (OBP) in 137 games in 2021, but had 16 homers and 15 steals with a .382 OBP in 112 games the following season.
Choo was once again limited to 112 games in 2023, and put up 12 homers and six steals, along with a .379 OBP.
In 20 games this year, Choo has hit one home run and stolen three bases. He was only hitting .228 for the season but had shown some signs of a turnaround, batting 5-for-14 over his five previous games with three runs scored and three walks.
The Landers are also missing slugger Han Yoo-seom, who is tied for the KBO lead with 11 home runs and ranks second with 34 RBIs, but is now out with an adductor injury.