Kiwoom ace Ahn Woo-jin (24) is finally going under the knife.
“Ahn Woo-jin has decided to undergo right medial collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John surgery),안전놀이터” the Kiwoom organization announced today. Ahn visited a hospital on the 1st to treat right elbow pain caused by accumulated fatigue and was diagnosed with a suspected ligament injury during an ultrasound examination. He immediately underwent a detailed examination, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and was diagnosed with a damaged medial collateral ligament.
Considering that no abnormalities were detected during the examination a month earlier, the specialist explained that the area seemed to have deteriorated acutely.
“Surgery is not possible for treatment, so we will confirm the surgery schedule as soon as possible without any additional checkups,” said Kiwoom, “and the club will spare no effort to support Ahn Woo-jin to recover quickly.”
Through the club, Ahn said, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t finish the season and apologize to the fans. Regardless of my personal performance, I apologize to everyone for falling into a difficult period for the team,” he said, adding, “I hope to have a good surgery and come back healthy.”
Last year, Ahn went 15-15 with 224 strikeouts in 196 innings and developed into one of the league’s most dominant starters. This season, he went 9-7 with a 2.39 ERA in 24 games, but was eventually sidelined by injury.
Typically, it takes at least a year for a player to return from Tommy John surgery.