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| Tommy Edman, who participated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) as a member of the Korean national team. Sports Chosun DB |
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Ryu Ji-hyun, the head coach of the Korean national baseball team, came out with news that he would be deeply disappointed.
Tommy (Hyun-soo) Edman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who joined the Korean national team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in 2023, decided to undergo surgery to solve the chronic ankle problem. As a result, he will not be able to join the Korean national team at the WBC in March next year.
The Athletic, a U.S. sports media outlet, reported on the 12th (Korea time) "L.A. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes' surgery for Tommy Edman, the team's utility player." Edman will soon undergo surgery to address his chronic right ankle problem," the report said.
Edman, a key utility man for the Los Angeles Dodgers, was a key member of the team's two consecutive World Series wins last year and this year. However, this year's performance fell compared to last year due to the aftermath of ankle injuries. Edman also had an ankle injury last year. Nevertheless, he performed so well in offense and defense that he was selected as the NLCS MVP. As a result, he signed a five-year-$74 million extension contract with the Dodgers after the season.
However, in April this year, I hurt my ankle again while sliding. Coincidentally, as Edman entered the injured list (IL), Kim Hye-sung was able to join the big league entry on May 4th, earlier than expected. Edman suffered throughout the season after his return, hurting his ankle several times. In the end, he played only 97 games this year and only posted a batting average of 0.225 (78 hits in 346 at-bats) with an OPS of 0.656. However, among them, he also showed his long-shot power by hitting a career-high 13 home runs.
Manager Dave Roberts joined Edman in the postseason and used him as the main second baseman, and in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series, he won his second consecutive World Series title after putting him in center field.
Edman, who struggled with frequent injuries but ultimately achieved his second consecutive World Series victory, seems to have decided to operate early to perform normally next season. Local media expected Edman to undergo surgery next week and to join the spring camp early next year if his recovery progresses normally.
During the last World Series, Edman said "I'll think about ankle surgery after the season is over", but he seems to have decided to solve the problem through surgery. If Edman's ankle condition is restored by surgery, he can play a more diverse role. This means that not only second base but also center fielder will be freely in charge. Of course, it is more profitable from the Dodgers' point of view, and Edman has nothing to lose.
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| Tommy Edman, who participated in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) as a member of the Korean national team. Sports Chosun DB |
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However, from the point of view of the Korean national baseball team, this surgery decision is 'Akjae'. This is because it will lose strong infield resources. Edman, whose mother is Korean, can participate not only in the U.S. but also in Korea according to WBC regulations. Thanks to these regulations, he participated in the 2023 WBC two years ago as a Korean national team.
Ryu Ji-hyun, the coach of the national team, also planned to have Edman participate in next year's WBC. In September, he visited the United States in person and had a conversation with Edman. At the time, Ryu said "Edman talked about his current physical condition and decided to talk about it again after the season is over." Edman also continued to feel burdened by his ankle condition. However, in the end, he decided to have ankle surgery and naturally failed to join the WBC. Director Ryu seems to have to hurry to find an alternative.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
