BASEBALL/Uni-Lions star Chen Chieh-hsien out 4-6 weeks with fractured finger

Taipei, March 13 (CNA) Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions' outfielder Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲), who fractured his left index finger during the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.

In a statement Friday, the Uni-Lions confirmed that Chen suffered a distal fracture in his left index finger. The diagnosis followed X-ray and CT scans conducted at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital earlier the same day.

According to the club, the injury will require four to six weeks to heal. During this period, Chen must wear a protective splint but is permitted to engage in light, sport-specific training.

The team plans to schedule a follow-up evaluation in two weeks to monitor bone healing before further assessing his rehabilitation timeline.

Chen was injured during Taiwan's WBC Pool C opener against Australia.

He was hit by a 93.6 mph four-seam fastball in the top of the sixth inning with Taiwan trailing 0-2, and was immediately removed from the game.

The injury forced Chen to miss subsequent matchups against Japan and the Czech Republic.

However, he appeared as a pinch runner in the 10th inning of Taiwan's final group stage game against South Korea on Sunday, scoring the winning run in a historic victory, Taiwan's first-ever WBC win over its regional rival.

The 32-year-old Chen is a six-time Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) All-Star. He captained the national team to the 2024 WBSC Premier12 title, securing Taiwan's first major international championship at the senior level.

In 2025, Chen signed a 10-year, NT$200 million (US$6.25 million) contract with the Uni-Lions, the largest deal in CPBL history.