LG’s Regret: Remembering His First Return After Injury

LG Twins’ right-hander Lee Jeong-yeon (30) is looking forward to a change in 2026.

Lee recently looked back on his military experience through the baseball team at the 2026 LG Spring Camp held in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, saying, “It was a good memory. On the other hand, I wonder what would have been like if I had gone there when I was younger. Still, it was definitely a time where I learned a lot.”

Lee Jeong-young, who graduated from Yeongil Elementary School, Seongnam Middle School, Seongnam High School, and Dong-A University, was selected by LG in the first round of the 2019 KBO rookie draft. After debuting in the first team in 2020, he quickly established himself as a sure-win team, and after contributing to the Korean Series victory in 2023, he left for the military at the late age of 28. He served in the National Military Athletic Training Corps (Sangmu) and was unable to participate in many games due to lower back pain. He received a lot of expectations, and after being discharged from the army on June 17th, he immediately returned to the first team. Lee Jeong-young said, “The thing that has changed the most (from before joining the military) is my mental state. Even when I was having a bad time, I was able to prepare more flexibly for the next match. I feel that my technical skills are still lacking, so I need to continue to complement them.”

He was expected to be an immediate asset due to his experience in both the starting lineup and the bullpen, but he was unable to do so. In 39 regular season games, he had 6 wins, 1 loss, 7 holds and 1 save, an earned run average of 5.03, and 34 innings with 12 walks and 26 strikeouts. However, he pitched in two games in the Korea Series, leading the team and winning his second championship ring.

Lee Jeong-young said, “Winning in 2023 had the biggest impact on me as a player. It was also the season in which the LG Twins won the championship for the first time in 29 years, and there were many memorable games for me personally.” He went on to say, “In 2025, I watched the games as a fan while serving time and gained a better understanding of the players’ feelings.When I was transferred, I wanted to give the team good momentum.After returning, I continued to do well, and people around me said, “I think I’m the fairy of victory.” The more I heard such stories, the more I tried to give them positive energy.”

Although he managed to contribute to the team after his return, he was rather disappointed. Throughout the offseason, he was committed to Jamsil Baseball Stadium, and he appeared as a starter in this spring camp, already preparing for 2026. Lee Jeong-young laughed, saying, “After the season ended, I was worried because I needed reinforcements. However, I became more determined and worked out as hard as I could. I tried to become stronger mentally, and as I exercised with that mindset, my body gradually got better.”

At the same time, he revealed his daily life during the off-season, saying, “I told you not to overdo it during the conditioning part, but I personally got a little greedy.I went to Jamsil early to gain weight and exercised a lot to make my body stronger.I ate three meals regularly, and then used the time I had left to do Pilates and other treatments.Since I was building my body according to a certain pattern, I was able to build up my strength well.”

He cited the advantage of the starting lineup as being able to quickly improve their physical condition in a warm place. Lee Jeong-young said with a smile, “I couldn’t start last year’s spring camp, and I wasn’t feeling 100%. So I was half worried and half hopeful, but as I practiced at camp, my heart was even more focused on expectations.”

He continued, “Even if I’m not at 100%, I feel like I’m better than last year. The most important thing is not to feel any pain. I’m watching more pitching footage and studying more than before in order to throw a stronger ball than last year. I’m getting a lot of help from the data analysis team and the coaching staff, and I’m also continuing to check on my personal time.”

I hoped that he could regain his past appearance of overwhelming strong hitters with a single fastball. Lee Jeong-young said, “I’m a fastball pitcher.” I want to show that side again, so I’m checking the mechanism. I’m particularly concerned about separating the upper and lower bodies and using the lower body.” Lee said with a smile, “I’m glad that the people who help me in the United States remember me. I’ll also try to give more cheerful energy. The atmosphere is also part of competitiveness.”

Lee Jeong-young, who described his personality as fiery, said, “I’m a pitcher who competes aggressively. I’m not just a pitcher who throws fast balls, but I want to throw pitches that are heavy and powerful for the batter to feel. Recently, there are many pitchers who throw fast balls, but my style is to pitch with power in each pitch and bring out the next pitch even more.”

He went on to emphasize, “I want to create a flow where I can pressure batters with the power of my fastballs, and also bring back my breaking balls.In the end, when I get on the mound, my goal is to be a pitcher who gives people the feeling that “I’m hitting the ball well,” and can set the flow of the game.”

Regarding the fans who have been waiting for him for a long time, he expressed his strong aspirations, saying, “I still remember the cheers they gave me when I first pitched after my return.I’m sorry that I couldn’t repay you with my results, but if you continue to support me, I’ll definitely repay you.As the fans call me “Katsuyo”, I will become a player who helps the team win.”

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*This content was translated by AI.