SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants placed outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated left shoulder and are still awaiting word on the severity of the injury.
Lee hurt his shoulder in the first inning on Sunday when it hit the right-center field wall as he leaped to try to make a catch on a drive by Cincinnati’s Jeimer Candelario.
Lee underwent an MRI on Monday and was set to meet with team doctors later in the day to determine the next steps of his recovery. Manager Bob Melvin said he won’t know how much time Lee will miss until after he meets with doctors but said he didn’t anticipate that surgery will be needed.
“We’ll probably have somewhat of a timeline later tonight,” Melvin said.
Lee was one of the big offseason additions for the Giants after starring for years playing professionally in his native South Korea. He signed a six-year, $113 million deal with San Francisco and has been the team’s starting center fielder this season.
Lee is batting .262 with two homers, eight RBIs and .641 OPS in 37 games as he adjusts to a new league but has excelled in the field.
“He’s very team oriented and wants to be out there for his team and therefore is disappointed,” Melvin said. “But there’s not much you can do about it. You make an all out effort like that to catch a ball in the first inning. If you make that play it’s a huge momentum swing. Now all of a sudden our center fielder is down. … I’m sure he’s feeling it right now. He wants to be out there for his team.”
Lee is one of several key players out with injuries for the Giants along with outfielders Michael Conforto and Austin Slater, designated hitter Jorge Soler, shortstop Nick Ahmed, catcher Tom Murphy and starter Blake Snell.
Catcher Patrick Bailey came off the concussion list on Saturday but was scratched from the lineup the past two days with symptoms of a cold. Melvin said doctors want to make sure it is unrelated to the concussion before clearing Bailey to return.