NC Koo Chang-mo has been removed from the first team roster due to a sore left elbow. He is also on red alert for the Hangzhou Asian Games team.
NC made a change to its first team roster ahead of its match against Jamsil LG on March 3. Koo Chang-mo was canceled.
Koo Chang-mo was the starting pitcher for the Jamsil LG on the 2nd. After his start against SSG on March 17 (5 innings, 1 run), he was removed from the first team roster due to left shoulder and elbow fatigue, giving him time to recharge. It was his first start in 16 days against LG.
However, after striking out the first batter, Hong Chang-ki, with five pitches in the bottom of the first inning, Koo gestured toward the NC dugout, signaling that something was wrong with his body. Pitching coach Kim Soo-kyung and a trainer visited him on the mound, and he soon radioed the dugout that he could no longer throw. Choi Sung-young took the mound in place of Koo Chang-mo.
When healthy, Koo is one of the league’s best left-handed starters. When NC won the franchise’s first Korean Series title in 2020, he went 9-0 with a 1.74 ERA. However, injuries limited him to just 15 games and 93⅓ innings pitched.
The lingering effects of the injury led to repeated rehabilitation in 2021, followed by surgery and a full season off. Last year, he went 11-5 with a 2.10 ERA in 19 games and 111⅔ innings pitched.
This season, he is 1-3 with a 3.26 ERA in nine games. In May, he went 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA in three games and looked to be in line for a starting spot on the Asian Games team. However, an unexpected injury put his chances in doubt.
Koo Chang-mo underwent a medical examination at a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with a micro-muscle injury. He is scheduled to undergo a second examination on March 3. A club official said, “We will know more about his injury status after a cross-check.”메이저놀이터
In place of Koo Chang-mo, first-round pick Jung Goo-beom was called up to the first team. After graduating from Deoksugo, Jung joined NC as a second-round pick in 2020, and made his first appearance for the first team last year. In two appearances on the mound, he went winless with a 13.50 ERA. This season, he has appeared in eight games for the Futures, posting a 4-1 record with a 5.06 ERA.