Played as a left-handed ace but suffered from repeated injuries.
When they return, the starting staff will have great strength… The key to maintaining a healthy body
‘National team left-hander’ Koo Chang-mo (28, managing director) is aiming for a comeback in 2025. Although he has the potential to become Korea’s best left-handed pitcher, he has repeatedly suffered injuries and is determined to live up to expectations this year.
Koo Chang-mo, who wore the NC Dinos uniform as the 3rd pick in the 2nd 1st round in 2015, received high expectations that he would grow into the next generation ace.
Koo Chang-mo, who began playing as a starter in 2017, reached 10 wins (7 losses) for the first time since his debut in the 2019 season, and in the 2020 season, he achieved outstanding results of 9 wins and undefeated in 15 games and an ERA of 1.74, contributing to NC’s first overall championship since its founding. . In the 2022 season, he showed his qualities as a native ace by winning 11 wins (5 losses) in 19 games.
‘Healthy’ Koo Chang-mo is easily the best left-handed starter in the league, but periodic injuries have undermined his career.
Gu Chang-mo has suffered from an ulna stress fracture injury since 2020. When returning from rehabilitation, the injury recurred and the store was closed. In 2021, a stress fracture recurred ahead of the opening, forcing him to sit out the entire season.
Nevertheless, NC gave Gu Chang-mo clear treatment. After the end of the 2022 season, a non-FA multi-year contract worth up to 7 years and 13.2 billion won was signed. The guaranteed annual salary for 6 years alone amounts to 8.8 billion won. This is a passage that shows the expectations for Gu Chang-mo.
However, so far, he has not shown performance commensurate with the large contract. As expected, it was due to injury. He eventually went on the operating table in October 2023, joined the Sangmu Army in December, and is currently serving in the military. He is scheduled to be discharged in June of this year.
Koo Chang-mo, who spent a lot of time in rehabilitation in Sangmu, made his comeback in a match against his former team NC held in Masan on September 24 last year. Afterwards, the season ended with an appearance against the KIA Tigers on October 1.
Koo Chang-mo recently communicated with the newly appointed NC coach Lee Ho-jun to celebrate the new year. At this event, he made Director Lee smile with his ambitious promise.
Coach Lee said, “He said that if the team remains in the top 5 until he returns, he will make it to 1st place. “You have to believe it,” he said with a laugh.
The key is, of course, health.
Director Lee said, “There is no problem now.” Now is the time to stop getting sick and play baseball well. “Given (former) Changmo’s age and various circumstances, I think it will be okay because it is the right time for him to bounce back,” he said.
Currently, NC has no clear starting cards except for the foreign one-two punch of Logan Allen and Riley Thompson. The 3rd to 5th starting positions, which should be filled by native starting pitchers, are still in the dark.
In this situation, if a healthy Koo Chang-mo returns, the starting team will have some breathing room. Although they will not be able to add strength from the opening, if NC holds out well until May, they can gain momentum in the ranking battle with the return of Koo Chang-mo. Of course, a ‘healthy return’ must come first.
(Seoul = News 1)
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