Jung Hoo Lee Hopes To Play Sunday, Could Make Opening Day Roster
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (back) is beginning baseball activities in camp on Friday and is hoping to play in an exhibition game at Sacramento against the Athletics on Sunday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea. Lee said it's realistic that he could be on the team's Opening Day roster for the season opener next Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds, but he also isn't trying to rush just to be available for the start of the season. White the 26-year-old's injury didn't end up being serious, he still hasn't played in any game action in over a week, which makes it unlikely that he'll be in the starting lineup on Opening Day on March 27. If he opens on the injured list, expect Luis Matos and Grant McCray to split playing time in center field. Lee is hoping to bounce back in 2025 after he played in just 37 games last year before needing season-ending shoulder injury. He's not off to a great start.
The San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser reports that an MRI exam showed no structural damage for San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (back), and he will continue to rehab from back discomfort that he experienced in camp. Although it's great news for the Giants and for Lee, there's still a pretty good chance he won't be ready for Opening Day next Thursday as he tries to recover from a back injury that has been he's been dealing with since last weekend. Hopefully if the 26-year-old second-year outfielder is forced to the injured list to begin the year, it will end up being a minimal stay. But it's bad news altogether for his fantasy appeal in the final week of spring training, especially after Lee only played in 37 games in his rookie season in 2024 before needing season-ending surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (back) is being sent for an MRI exam on Monday, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser. It's not what Giants fans want to hear with Opening Day just over a week away. The 26-year-old outfielder was scratched from the team's Cactus League lineup this past Saturday with a back injury, and apparently it's still an issue. We'll have a better idea of his status moving forward after the Giants release the results of the MRI exam, so check back later for an update. If Lee is forced to open the 2025 regular season on the injured list, Heliot Ramos would most likely shift from left field to center field on a regular basis. The Giants signed Lee to a six-year, $113 million deal last offseason, but he only played in 37 games before needing season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. RotoBaller has the contact-oriented Lee ranked as the No. 50 outfielder, but his stock could be dropping based on the severity of his back injury.
Jung Hoo Lee Expected To Remain Sidelined For A Few Days
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (back) is expected to remain sidelined for a few more days. Lee was scratched on Saturday due to back soreness. It appears that this injury is still bothering him and the team will opt to exercise caution during the final weeks of spring training. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he faces a setback. Lee made his MLB debut last season but it was cut short as he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after 37 contests. During this brief stint, Lee held a .262/.310/.331 line. He generated a strong .278 xBA, which suggests that he could see some positive regression during the 2025 campaign. When healthy, Lee is expected to have an everyday spot in the starting nine and is a viable late-round option when looking to boost your batting average production.
Jung Hoo Lee Scratched On Saturday With Back Tightness
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (back) was scratched on Saturday due to back tightness. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay noted that the injury is believed to be minor and he could be back in the lineup on Sunday. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status, but it appears that the injury is not very serious for now. He was replaced by center fielder Grant McCray. Lee made his MLB debut last season and held a .262/.310/.331 slash line with four doubles and two home runs. He was only able to appear in 37 contests before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Under the hood, he generated a stellar .278 xBA and showed an elite eye at the plate as he held an 8.2 percent strikeout rate. When healthy, fantasy managers should expect Lee to have an everyday spot in the San Francisco lineup. He is an excellent target in the final rounds of the draft when looking to boost your batting average production.
Jung Hoo Lee Could Hit Third, LaMonte Wade Jr. At Leadoff?
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said that the team is toying with the idea of using outfielder Jung Hoo Lee in the third spot in the batting order in 2025 as he returns from a season-ending shoulder injury. First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is also healthy, and the Giants like his on-base skills at the top of the order in the leadoff spot. So as things stand at the beginning of spring training, it looks like Wade will lead off, followed by new shortstop Willy Adames, Lee, third baseman Matt Chapman and outfielder Heliot Ramos in the top half of the order. Lee played in only 37 games in his first year with San Fran in 2023, and while he made plenty of contact, his superior on-base skills from Japan didn't transfer over. A move down the order slightly would mean fewer runs scored but also give him more chances to drive in runs. Lee hit the ball hard in his small sample size last year, so more power could be coming in 2025.
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said on Wednesday that outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) is a full-go for spring training. Lee played in just 37 games in 2024 in his first year in the big leagues after injuring his left shoulder and undergoing season-ending labrum surgery in June. Before injuring his shoulder in a collision with the outfield wall, the 26-year-old Japanese outfielder hit .262/.310/.331 with a below-average .641 OPS, two home runs, eight RBI, two steals and 15 runs scored in 145 at-bats. He figures to once again be San Fran's primary leadoff hitter in 2025, which will give him plenty of opportunities to score runs for fantasy managers. Lee is an elite contact hitter, but his .310 on-base percentage was a disappointment, albeit in a small sample size. His 41.8% hard-hit rate from 2024 should translate to more power in 2025, but fantasy managers should be targeting Lee as a No. 4 or 5 outfielder going into his sophomore season.
Jung Hoo Lee Won't Have Restrictions In Spring Training
San Francisco Giants manager Bob Melvin said on Monday at the MLB winter meetings that outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) won't have any restrictions when he reports to spring training in mid-February after his rehab from shoulder surgery has gone smoothly. "Jung Hoo is good to go. Jung Hoo is ready," Melvin said. The 26-year-old Korean had season-ending surgery to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder in June but should be ready for Opening Day in 2025, barring a setback. The left-handed-hitting outfielder was the club's starting center fielder and leadoff man before his injury, hitting .262/.310/.331 with a .641 OPS, only two homers, eight RBI, two steals and 15 runs in 145 at-bats before his injury. Lee has more power than his surface stats in a limited sample size show, but elite contact ability and on-base skills should continue to carry his value in fantasy heading into next season.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) will have season-ending surgery on his dislocated left shoulder next Tuesday in Los Angeles, with Dr. Neal ElAttrache doing the procedure. Lee is expected to make a full recovery by the start of next spring. Manager Bob Melvin said Lee will remain around the team and rehab in San Francisco. The 25-year-old Japanese outfielder hit .262/.310/.331 with two home runs, four doubles, eight RBI, two stolen bases, 15 runs scored, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts in 158 plate appearances in his first 37 major-league games for the Giants before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury on May 12 against the Cincinnati Reds. Lee tore the labrum in his shoulder but should be ready to roll for the start of the 2025 season as San Fran's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter. If you haven't already done so in redraft leagues, Lee can be safely dropped now.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (shoulder) is reportedly scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery. The expectation was that Lee would miss significant time after crashing into the wall last weekend. The rookie outfielder will need season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. This is an awful blow to the Giants roster as Lee was only able to play in 37 games during his first season with the Giants. The expectation is that Luis Matos will get significant playing time with Lee out of the picture for the rest of 2024.
Jung Hoo Lee
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Giants
