Lee Dae-ho of the Orix Buffaloes hit his first home run of the spring at Thursday’s game, taking the Seibu Lions’ starter deep in the first inning for a two-run homer.

Now, after three spring training games, Lee is 2 for 8 with a .250 batting average. It’s a bit of a slow start for the Korean slugger following his successful winter training season. During the winter, Lee went 13 for 19 with a .684 average, raising expectations for his debut year in Japan.

Orix manager Akinobu Okada, who watched Lee’s first home run of this year, said he believes the Korean could play a big role. 

“He is still new to the pitchers, but is doing well against them,” the manager said.

Lee agreed to a $9.7 million, two-year deal over the winter, leaving the Lotte Giants in the KBO after 11 seasons.

During his successful stint with the Busan-based Giants, Lee set numerous records, including the world record of hitting a home run in nine successive games. He had a .309 batting average with 225 home runs and 809 RBIs in 1,150 games over 11 seasons.

In 2010, he hit 44 home runs with 133 RBIs to win the KBO’s MVP.

The Buffaloes are no strangers to Korean players. Former L.A. Dodgers pitcher Park Chan-ho and Samsung Lions slugger Lee Seung-yeop played for the team until being released at the end of last season.

Lee, who is considered one of the top Korean sluggers today, is expected to make his official debut for the Buffaloes in the team’s season opener on April 1.

Meanwhile, the KBO is gearing up for the upcoming season. All eight teams have completed their overseas training and are now preparing for the preseason games starting March 17.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)