Samsung Lions breathe easier as injured Koo Ja-wook returns to action

The Samsung Lions have reason to feel more optimistic about the second round of the playoffs starting Sunday after outfielder Koo Ja-wook delivered three hits in a practice game despite a recent hamstring injury.

For the Lions, the anxiety began on Sept. 30, when Koo clutched his thigh after hitting a double against the Hanwha Eagles. Koo was later diagnosed with a tear in his proximal hamstring tendon, which ended his regular season.

The scene brought back memories of the second round of the 2024 playoffs, when he suffered an injury while attempting to steal a base in Game 2.

Koo is indispensable to the Lions. He led the league with a .371 batting average and a .408 on-base percentage this season, while also hitting 15 home runs and driving in 102 runs.

Koo may not hit for as much power as he once did, but few can match his consistency at the plate. He hits well against both left- and right-handed pitchers and produces wherever he bats in the lineup. He has also proven reliable in clutch situations, hitting a team-best .414 with runners in scoring position.

The damage, however, proved less severe than feared. The Lions said Thursday that follow-up medical tests showed signs of recovery, as bleeding and swelling around Koo's injury had eased. He had recovered enough to cycle and jog lightly.

Samsung opened its training camp for the second round of the playoffs that same day, and Koo took part in batting practice as usual, including tee drills.

Koo returned to the plate in an intrasquad scrimmage at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on Monday, where he batted third as the designated hitter. In his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning, he singled to left-center field off pitcher Ariel Jurado.

Koo lined out to second base in the fourth inning, drew a walk against Satoshi Miyamori in the sixth and popped out to the infield in the eighth. He finished 1-for-3 with a walk. Although he has yet to fully recover his ability to run the bases and play defense, Koo sounded confident about his progress. "I tried running, and it felt fine," he said.

Still, the Lions are not entirely out of the woods. Asking Koo to play the outfield remains a risk at this stage of his recovery. If he aggravates the injury, Samsung could once again lose its reliable hitter, as it did in the 2024 Korean Series.

"We'll be as cautious as possible with Koo," manager Park Jin-man said.

Samsung used veteran Choi Hyoung-woo in left field late in the regular season, an option that would allow Koo to start as the designated hitter. But Choi's poor defensive performance raises concerns. The Lions would prefer Koo to return to the outfield, though time is limited. They could also start Park Seung-kyu and use Koo as a pinch hitter in a key situation.

The Lions also saw a welcome turnaround from their two foreign starters. Chris Paddack and Ariel Jurado, who had endured a rough finish to the regular season, looked much sharper in the intrasquad game. Paddack tossed four shutout innings, while Jurado gave up one run over five innings. Paddack topped out at 150.1 kilometers (93 miles) per hour, compared to Jurado's 147.6 kilometers per hour. The pair are the favorites to start the first two games of the second-round playoffs.