1:18pm: Kang did indeed have surgery to debride the cartilage in his wrist this morning, the Pirates announced. However, it’s not a guarantee that the injury will end his season. Per the team’s press release:
“The Pirates are very appreciative that Dr. Birdsong was able to clear a time slot on his schedule to expedite the timing of the surgery. The typical return to play from this type of surgery is four to six weeks.”
11:51am: Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang will require season-ending surgery to repair his left wrist, according to Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The operation is said to come with a three-month recovery period. Kang has been on the minor league disabled list with a wrist issue since late June.
The 31-year-old Kang hasn’t played in the Majors since the 2016 season due to ongoing legal issues in his native South Korea. The former Nexen Heroes star was arrested and charged with his third DUI during the 2016-17 offseason, leaving him unable to secure a work visa and costing him the entire 2017 season as a result. Kang eventually acquired a visa and was ablt to return to the United States back in May. He spent a few weeks ramping up (but still on the restricted list) before being optioned to the minors in mid-June. He played in just seven Class-A Advanced games and nine Triple-A contests before incurring the injury.
It seems possible, if not likely, that Kang’s injury will end his tenure with the Pirates organization. He’s earning a $3MM base salary in 2018 — though he wasn’t paid while on the restricted list earlier this season or in 2017 — and is under control for the 2019 campaign via a $5.5MM club option. That option comes with a modest $250K buyout, and it seems far likelier that the team will go that route than to roll the dice on a player who hasn’t set foot on a big league field since October 2016. It’d be somewhat of a surprise for any organization to exercise that option, but the cost-conscious Pirates, in particular, seem likely to take a pass.
The question for Kang, then, will be whether his considerable off-field issues will prohibit him from receiving a look with any other big league organization. In addition to the DUI charges he faced in Seoul, Kang was also accused of sexual assault in Chicago back in the summer of 2016, though the allegations never led to any charges being filed.
Kang did bat .273/.355/.483 with 36 home runs in 837 plate appearances as a member of the Pirates, so there’s at least reason to believe that with a mostly healthy offseason and a full Spring Training, he could be a productive on-field asset. If he were to get another opportunity, it seems likely that it’d come on a minor league pact with an invitation to 2019 Spring Training, though there will quite likely be some teams that decide to steer clear of Kang entirely, given those off-field issues and the long layoff between would-be MLB appearances.
This guy is finished. I don’t think he will generate any interest with all the given headaches. Pirates are already moving in another direction with youth. Doubt he sticks around in the majors .
If Matt Bush found a GM willing to give him a shot, I would be shocked if Kang wasn’t awarded the same opportunity.
That’s right, JD will prob sign him.
If he commits to improvement of course. Matt Bush changed his life and showed the Rangers he will stay that way.
He’s done in Pittsburgh but there will be a team out there that will take a flier on him. He can provide decent D at SS/3B and has a career .286/.357/.507 with 30 HR’s in 588 AB’s against RHP. At the time of his injury he was at .310/.408/.517 in the minors. At the worst he’ll likely get a minor league contract with an opt out date. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if he got a major league offer on a low salary 1 year contract.
Let the doctors in North Korea operate on him
Too many twelve ounce curls.
Your mom just did an 8 inch curl on me!
Don’t you have a city to govern?
He had too much time on his hands when he was out of baseball
Lmao
Jung Ho is…. Kang from the Pirates for sure
Forget the anesthesia for the operation…..a good stiff belt will do……just no nurses around, please….
saddest thing in life is wasted talent
Minor league deal in Kang’s future unless he plans on going back to the KBO.
Risk the chance back in the KBO of another DUI? Not a chance
Why wouldn’t they pick up his 5.5 option SRod is gone making nearly 5 himself doubtful they pay Mercer either.
I would think they would as well. Changing topics, that Brewers lineup is sure stacked now. probably the best offensive lineup in baseball, for sure the NL, no one is close.
But they can’t play them all at the same time, Travis Shaw got screwed in this one, or Moose is a glorified PH & DH in an AL Park.
The Brewers are 9th in the NL in runs, 10th in doubles, 13th in triples, 3rd in HR, 9th in BA, 10th in OBP, 7th in SLG. The Brewers added .246/.305.455 Moose and ..238/.267/.437 Schoop. You seriously think Moose and Schoop make them the #1 offense? The Dodgers are 2nd in runs, 3rd in doubles, 5th in triples, 1st in HR,10th in BA, 5th in OBP, 2nd in SLG…….and they also added Machado and Dozier. The #1 offense in the NL is debatable between the Cubs and Dodgers…with the Rockies on the fringe.
Kang needs to just retire. He’s old, he isn’t a great person, he’s been suspended, now injured and the pirates already have there positions filled. Kang don’t even deserve to play
Kang is a fool!
I was hoping that he could turn it around this year because the Pirates need his power.Why would it take six weeks to figure out that he needs an operation?It does not seem likely at this point whether they can figure out if he is a productive major leaguer next year or not.
Maybe winter ball would help depending on when they have to commit on the option year.
He will get a contract for next year from someone.
I had heard some crazy talk that Kang might be the PTBNL in the Archer deal, but beyond this injury, that is not the case. Huntingdon said it would be a prospect. It was unclear if he even knows which player it will be or if the Rays get to pick from a list.
It’s been reported that it’s not Keller or Hayes. Hopefully, it’s not Baz. Any other loss might sting, that would hurt.
Probably did it during one of his three DUI’s
How did this guy even get a Visa to get back into this country? Three DUIs! He’s a threat to the safety of every person anywhere near Pittsburgh.
We vilify, round up, and kick out immigrants who are just here to work hard, survive and escape violence, but Kang can get back and get cheered by thousands? The Pirates GM and ownership should be ashamed of themselves.