Giants’ biggest offseason signing out for season because of injury

Sep 15, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view of a San Francisco Giants cap and glove during the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Year 1 in San Francisco is officially a wash for one prominent signing.

The Giants announced on Friday that outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, who suffered a dislocated left shoulder during a game earlier this week, is now out for the season. Lee will be undergoing surgery to repair the shoulder in the next couple of weeks, the team added.

The 25-year-old Lee was injured in the first inning of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds when he crashed into the outfield wall while attempting to make a leaping catch.

Jung Hoo Lee exited today's game after appearing to injure himself on a collision with the center field wall pic.twitter.com/ocXon6JI8F

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 12, 2024

Lee, a former KBO League MVP in his native South Korea, signed a six-year, $113 million contract with the Giants in the offseason. That was the biggest contract by total value that the team handed out all winter (though fellow newcomer Blake Snell is making more money annually off a shorter deal).

The Giants had to have liked what they saw from Lee in limited run this year. He was hitting .262 with two homers and eight RBIs to go along with some highlight-worthy defense. Lee also quickly earned himself a dedicated legion of fans within just his first few weeks. But Lee’s 2024 season is now over less than two months after it began, leaving San Francisco to look towards 2025 and beyond to get their money’s worth from him.