Seoul: The Hanwha Eagles, currently leading the South Korean baseball standings, announced they will be without their starting shortstop Sim Woo-jun for several weeks due to a leg injury. Sim suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch during Saturday's game against the Kiwoom Heroes in Seoul. Subsequent medical tests confirmed that Sim sustained a broken fibula.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Eagles stated that Sim will undergo reevaluation after two weeks of rest. The team further indicated that it could take up to four weeks before Sim is able to resume baseball activities. Sim, 30, joined the Eagles as a free agent last November, having spent the initial nine seasons of his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) career with the KT Wiz. Despite a lifetime batting average of .254 and 31 home runs over 1,072 games through 2024, the Eagles offered him a four-year contract valued at 5 billion won (US$3.51 million), anticipating that he would become their defensive cornerstone.
Sim has largely fulfilled these expectations, being regarded as one of the KBO's top defensive shortstops. In the current season, he has hit .170 with five extra-base hits across 33 games. The Eagles boast a record of 27-13-0 (wins-losses-ties) and are currently experiencing a 12-game winning streak, marking the second-longest in the franchise's history, following a 14-game streak set in 1992.