SSG Landers outfielder Ha Jae-hoon, 33, who joined the team late after suffering an injury during camp, is drawing up his goals for this year.
Ha swung for the fences in the fourth game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium on Saturday, helping the team to a 14-3 victory. He’s back healthy and feeling good.
Ha celebrates his team’s first hit against Doosan’s “foreign ace” Raul Alcantara. Starting in left field and batting seventh, Ha went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and one run scored.
After leading off the third inning with the team’s first hit of the game, Ha completed his multi-hit performance two batters later and scored a valuable run on a clever infield play. He added a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to give the team an 11-3 lead.
Coach Kim Won-hyung said, “Jae-hoon made his first start after returning from injury, and he showed good form from the first at-bat with a home run and three hits. He gave us a lot of energy in the bottom of the order.”
Ha injured his left shoulder while playing defense in the first practice game during the second camp in Okinawa, Japan. When he returned to the first team on the 25th, he exploded at the plate as if he had vomited out all his pent-up frustration.
“I was upset that I got injured on the first day of the practice game,” he told reporters after the game, “but I was focused because it was my first start.”
“I played (with my shoulder in a sling). The doctors told me not to, but I couldn’t resist, so I managed my weight and now I feel like I can come back with a good feeling.”
He had high expectations from the coaching staff during the camp, so he was disappointed about the injury, but also worried about returning to the first team after a long absence.
“I was half worried and half wanting to do well,” Ha said, “but I was confident today because I had good results from the start.”메이저놀이터
The day before, Ha was called up to the first team and went 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter. Before the game, he showed his confidence with a “thumbs up” when asked by reporters how he felt, and it showed in the game.
However, he still needs to work on his outfield defense. “I still lack movement,” Ha said, but he is confident in his batting. “I don’t have any fear (of injury) anymore,” he said, adding with a laugh, “I hope I can hit 36 home runs because I have 36 saves.”
Before turning to the plate, Ha was a closer in 2019, when he won the “Save King” title with 36 saves.