Kiwoom ace's uncommon injury requires surgery, delays return until April 2025

[OSEN=Lee Hoo-kwang Reporter] "This is a part usually injured by judo or wrestling athletes..."

The shoulder injury of An Woo-jin (Kiwoom Heroes) was so surprising that even the attending physician said it was the first time they operated on a baseball player for 'this area.' What were the player's feelings at the time, as he sweated for a comeback in the second half of the season?

An Woo-jin, the Kiwoom ace serving as a social service agent to fulfill his military duty, suffered an unexpected shoulder injury while participating in additional fungo training after pitching one inning in a team evaluation game during his day off in August. After undergoing three detailed medical examinations, it was confirmed that the right acromioclavicular joint ligament was damaged, and he underwent arthroscopic shoulder coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction surgery.

According to Kiwoom, during the red-and-white game, additional training (fungo) was scheduled for the losing team to enhance players' focus. An Woo-jin's team lost the game, and although he requested to be exempt from the additional training, he participated in the session at the urging of a part-time coach amid the atmosphere where the entire losing team was expected to join. The ace, who was anticipated to return in the second half, became uncertain even about a first-half comeback next year due to the unexpected injury.

Recently, upon his 1st team entry registration at Jamsil, An Woo-jin shared, "I removed the brace recently after surgery and visited the hospital three times for checkups. The doctor said the surgery went well and provided a rehabilitation program. The team also has excellent trainers, so I plan to listen carefully and work hard on my recovery."

The surgical site for An Woo-jin is not a part baseball players typically injure. The attending physician also mentioned it was their first time operating on a baseball player for 'this area.' An Woo-jin said, "They mentioned they had performed surgeries on judo or wrestling athletes. So, they approached it cautiously at first and set a long rehabilitation period. I don't know when the rehab will end, but I have to try to finish it early."

When asked about his feelings at the time of the injury, he reflected, "My elbow rehabilitation period wasn't satisfactory, but during the red-and-white game, I felt like my body was almost fully prepared. I was genuinely satisfied. I thought I was fully ready, but getting injured was frustrating. I was disappointed, just like the fans."

An Woo-jin is expected to return to the field as early as April next year. Although his second-half comeback and participation in the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) were both canceled due to the injury, his fast rehabilitation progress is a positive sign.

He explained, "I think I'll start throwing a ball around January next year. If I proceed normally through the Intermediate Throwing Program (ITP) without skipping steps, April would be the earliest possible return. Based on my elbow rehabilitation experience, there are definitely bad days, so April is the earliest date."

He also shared his honest feelings about missing the WBC: "Getting injured was the hardest part. I focused only on returning to the mound normally rather than participating in the WBC. I still think that way."

Despite being unable to pitch, An Woo-jin requested 1st team entry registration to serve as a mentor to the team's young players for the remainder of the season. He said, "I asked the team to register me because I wanted to directly advise the young players. Looking back at my early days, just listening to seniors' stories was very helpful. I wanted to be with the players even in that way. Although I'm lacking, I want to share as much as I know."

An Woo-jin suffers rare shoulder injury in fungo drill