Giants’ Lee ‘100 percent’ healthy, eyeing pressure-free 2025 season

Giants’ Lee ‘100 percent’ healthy, eyeing pressure-free 2025 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jung Hoo Lee is itching to get back on the field with the Giants, and he won’t have to wait much longer.

The 26-year-old outfielder, whom San Francisco signed to a six-year, $113 million contract last offseason, played just 37 games with the Giants in 2024 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in mid-May.

Now fully healthy and ready to continue his MLB career, Lee, who traveled from South Korea to the United States on Monday, told local reporters at the Incheon International Airport about his goal for the 2025 MLB season.

“First and foremost, my goal is to play the full season without getting hurt,” Lee said. “And hopefully, I can help the team get to the postseason, too.” (h/t Yonhap News Agency)

“I am so grateful for the way the team has taken care of me. I want to go back out there and help the team the best I can. I can tell you I am 100 percent healthy now.”

Lee shared that the Giants sent a team trainer with him to South Korea to help him follow his rehab schedule this offseason.

Last season was not the first time Lee had to overcome adversity due to an injury, after the speedy outfielder suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for the majority of his 2023 season in the KBO.

“I think I’ve been able to mature precisely because I’ve gone through such challenging times,” Lee explained. “I think I am in a really good place now. I feel a bit more composed than before last season.”

Lee admitted that he tried to do too much in his rookie MLB season with the Giants, and now one year removed from signing his lucrative contract with San Francisco, is not putting any extra pressure on himself heading into spring training.

“I think professional ball players have to prove their worth every season,” Lee added. “It’s the same in South Korea. And I am not feeling added pressure because of that. I just want to play in as many games as possible and help the team because I didn’t play much last year.”

One area that Lee is looking to improve, is at the plate, specifically with driving the ball and getting the ball in the air. Lee told reporters that he identified what caused the issue last season and has been focused on addressing it this offseason.

“I am in the process of addressing that problem, and if it all goes well, I should be able to start driving the ball better,” Lee said. “Even though I only played a little bit last year, I still think I showed something noteworthy. For now, I am going to stick to what I’ve been doing all along.”

After traveling back stateside, Lee and other Giants position players will report to spring training on Feb. 16, with pitchers and catchers set to report on Feb. 11.

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