Pirates' Kang Jung-ho gets pinch-hit single in 1st MLB game in 2 years

SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- He's back.

Kang Jung-ho, a once-troubled infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, got a pinch-hit single in his first major league game in nearly two years against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati on Friday (local time), doing so at a stadium where he made his big league debut in April 2015.

Kang went 1-for-1 off the bench at Great American Ball Park, as the Pirates took the game 8-4.

The Pirates activated Kang, who missed all of 2017 and most of 2018 due to legal problems and injury, in time for their final regular season series in Cincinnati. Kang's previous big league game came on Oct. 2, 2016 versus the St. Louis Cardinals.

Kang pinch-hit for pitcher Steven Brault to lead off the top of the seventh inning, with the Pirates leading 5-2. After taking a slider in the dirt for a ball from right-hander Matt Wisler, Kang ripped a line-drive single past diving shortstop Jose Peraza.

Kang later advanced to third on a double by Starling Marte but was stranded there.

Richard Rodriguez came out of the bullpen to start the bottom seventh, taking Kang out of the game.

Kang, a former All-Star shortstop in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), put up solid numbers as third baseman for the Pirates in 2015 and 2016. But then legal issues and injury kept him off the field for the entire 2017 season and most of this year.

In December 2016, Kang was charged with fleeing the scene of an accident after driving under the influence of alcohol in Seoul, and received a suspended jail term three months later. He was denied a U.S. work visa, which prevented him from joining the Pirates.

Kang got his work permit in April this year and began playing in the minor leagues in June. Then he came down with a left wrist sprain later that month and underwent surgery on Aug. 3, which threatened to end his comeback bid.

Kang started taking swings two weeks ago and returned to action just before the end of the regular season.

Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said earlier that Kang "may" start one game this weekend.

The Pirates will have an interesting decision to make this winter with their hard-hitting third baseman who can also play shortstop.

Kang, now 31, signed a four-year, US$11 million deal before the 2015 season, with a $5.5 million team option, or a $250,000 buyout, for 2019.

Without Kang, rookie Colin Moran served as the Pirates' primary third baseman this year, and he is batting .277 with 11 homers and 58 RBIs in 143 games so far. As a team, the Buccos ranked in the bottom half in the National League in runs scored, home runs and on-base plus slugging (OPS) prior to Friday.

Kang finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 after batting .287 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 126 games. In 2016, he had 21 homers and 62 RBIs, with a .255 batting average in 103 games.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
(END)