Not available immediately after being discharged from the military? I've been waiting for the ace of 13.2 billion contracts. What a surprise

Jun 12, 2025

NC 구창모(왼쪽). Sports Chosun DB

I was waiting for Koo Chang-mo's discharge from the management office, but what a surprise.

NC Dinos head coach Lee Ho-joon told reporters about Koo Chang-mo, who is about to be discharged from Sangmu, in an interview with reporters ahead of the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes match on the 11th.

Koo Chang-mo will be discharged from the military after completing his military service in the Armed Forces Sports Unit on the 17th. When the story of how to use it came out, director Lee Ho-joon said "I can't use Koo Chang-mo." I think I'll fall into the second division as soon as I come. First, I'll come and do a medical check, and then decide whether I'm in the second team or going to the rehabilitation part."

I recently talked to Koo Chang-mo on the phone, and it was confirmed that he needed more time to rebuild his body in order to throw again as a starter in the process of grasping the exact physical condition.

I have a special injury nowOr, it's not a situation where you can't throw a ball. However, he has not thrown the ball for nearly two months since he was hit by the ball in Sangmu, and is currently in a condition to pitch for about one inning.

Coach Lee Ho-joon said, `I took too long off the game. I think he was trying to be careful. He is not in a situation to use it right away because he is pitching his first inning (12th) after taking a few months off. Building up again"

Coach Lee Ho-joon of NC is on the ground ahead of the start of the game in Game 1 of a doubleheader between NC and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 11th. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.05.11/

Koo Chang-mo's poor condition and repeated injuries, both large and small, have continued since before joining the military. While cruising at the beginning of the 2023 season, he was diagnosed with fatigue fractures in his left arm forearm in June and was later replaced in the Asian Games entry. After taking the mound twice as a bullpen at the end of September, at the end of the season, he joined Sangmu in December of that year.

Even after joining Sangmu, he couldn't throw the ball properly. At the beginning of the enlistment, the aftermath of the fatigue fracture remained, and after rehabilitation, he focused on building his body again. There were only two games and two innings in which Koo Chang-mo took the mound as a member of Sangmu in the 2024 season. At the end of the 2024 season, he only pitched in two games as a bullpen and played one inning each.

And he improved his normal condition ahead of the opening of the Futures League again this year, and started fresh on March 19 against the Samsung Lions' second division with one run in five innings. Then, on April 2, he started again against Samsung and allowed one run in three innings, and later stopped pitching.

In fact, he has not thrown the ball in practice for more than two months, and he will be discharged in a condition that he can play about an inning by rebuilding his body.

Koo Chang-mo.Sports Chosun DB

Coach Lee Ho-joon has been waiting for Koo Chang-mo's discharge. This is true even if we look at NC's current lineup composition. Two foreign pitchers (Rogan, Riley) are struggling, but domestic starters are still volatile except for Shin Min-hyuk. Recently, Mok Ji-hoon, Kim Nok-won, Shin Young-woo, and Choi Sung-young have been taking turns filling the rotation.

Key prospects expected as starting resources such as Mok Ji-hoon and Shin Young-woo are growing, but in fact, if healthy Koo Chang-mo joins the rotation, the weight is completely different. Manager Lee Ho-joon's idea also had hope that if he filled the third and fourth starters with Koo Chang-mo and Shin Min-hyuk under the premise that two foreign pitchers were in normal condition, he could be even more upgraded than his previous strength. Koo Chang-mo was also looking only at joining the team while communicating with head coach Lee Ho-joon.

However, coach Lee Ho-joon could not hide his frustration as he said he could not use Koo Chang-mo immediately after being discharged from the military and that it would take more time to build his body again.

Game 1 of a doubleheader between NC and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 11th, and NC Kwon Hee-dong's come-from-behind three-run double with two outs in the top of the second inning?? The three runners who scored are giving high fives to coach Lee Ho-joon. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.05.11/

NC's team ranking, which rose to fourth place with its hot momentum in May, has recently fallen to eighth place. The team's performance in June has maintained a winning rate of 4 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses, and 50 percent, but it seems that it has rarely risen in the ranking competition. Several factors, including accumulation of fatigue and injured players from long away trips, overlap, but there still seems to be a side effect.

So I've been waiting for Koo Chang-mo even more. After the 2022 season, NC gave Koo Chang-mo, who has yet to solve the military problem, a maximum of 13.2 billion won for 6+1 years. The guarantee amount alone reached 8.8 billion won, a huge multi-year contract. This shows how much expectation the team has for him.

Fortunately, unless there is an injury, the build-up as a starting pitcher may not take long. NC's remaining hope circuit is that Koo Chang-mo joins the rotation healthy within the first half at the earliest or at the beginning of the second half at the latest.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.