Rays' Choi Ji-man homers in win over Yankees

Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays has homered for the fourth time this season. Choi delivered a game-tying solo shot against the New York Yankees in the bottom of the second inning, as the Rays went on to prevail 4-2 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (local time). The opposite field blast, off starter Luis Severino, was Choi's fourth home run of 2022. It was also Choi's only hit of the game. He is now batting .260/.374/.458 for the season with 20 RBIs. The South

May 30, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin showing better velocity, command since return from injury

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has made four appearances so far this year. In terms of performances, there is a distinct demarcation line between the first two and the last two of those outings. In the first two games, Ryu struggled with command of his pitches and his fastball velocity, never that high to begin with, left much to be desired. He was rocked to the tune of 11 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings for a 13.50 ERA. Ryu went through a rough spell in the second half o

May 25, 2022

Veteran hitters closing in on milestones in KBO

A pair of former major leaguers plying their trade back in South Korea will be closing in on offensive milestones this week. Kim Hyun-soo of the LG Twins is six hits away from becoming the 16th player in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history to reach 2,000 career hits. With seven more RBIs, KT Wiz slugger Park Byung-ho will join 20 others in the 1,000-RBI club. Kim, a two-time batting champion who led the KBO in hits in 2008 and 2009, has long been destined for a place among all-time hits le

May 24, 2022

KBO-leading SSG Landers in for tough week against contenders

The SSG Landers have spent the entire 2022 South Korean baseball season so far in first place. Their throne will face a serious challenge this week, with a pair of three-game sets on the horizon against clubs right below them in the standings. The Landers went 2-4 last week in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the first time they failed to play at least .500 ball in a full week since the season began on April 2. The Landers' suddenly-shaky bullpen will be tested in a midweek series against

May 17, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin solid in return from injury

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has marked his return from injury with the best outing of the young season. Ryu was charged with one earned run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Saturday (local time). That lone run came via a leadoff home run by Yandy Diaz in the bottom first, and Ryu held the Rays to three more hits the rest of the way. It was Ryu's third start of this season but first since Apri

May 15, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin to return from injury on weekend

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin is scheduled to return to the mound after missing the past few weeks with left arm problems. Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters in New York on Tuesday (local time), before a game against the Yankees, that Ryu was on track to start against the Tampa Bay Rays on the road Saturday. The game begins 6:10 p.m. Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, or 7:10 a.m. Sunday (Korean time). Ryu was placed on the 10-day injur

May 11, 2022

Rays' Choi Ji-man strikes out 3 times in return from injury

The Tampa Bay Rays' South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man is back from injury, though not in any fashion that he would have liked. Choi struck out three times while going 0-for-4 at the plate against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Sunday (local time). The Rays lost the game 2-1 in 10 innings. This was Choi's first game since April 26. The Rays placed Choi on the 10-day injured list (IL) on May 1 due to loose bodies in his right elbow, and the move was retroactive to April 2

May 9, 2022

Veteran KBO catcher takes pride in speed

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of baseball catchers? It could be a lot of things, but speed is probably not one of them. But Yoo Kang-nam, a veteran backstop for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), claims he is that rare breed of catchers who can run. He doesn't want you to get fooled by his almost nonexistent stolen base total -- just seven in 917 career games in a career that began in 2011. Yoo will gladly submit his baserunning heroics from Tu

May 4, 2022

As only active S. Korean big leaguer, Padres' Kim Ha-seong showing life at plate

Four South Korean players were on Opening Day rosters for their respective clubs in April. But with the first month of the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) season in the books, only one of them is active in the bigs at the moment: Kim Ha-seong, the second-year infielder for the San Diego Padres. Toronto Blue Jays' starter Ryu Hyun-jin (left forearm) and Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman Choi Ji-man (right elbow) are both on the 10-day injured list (IL). Park Hoy-jun, utility player for the Pittsburg

May 3, 2022

Rays' Choi Ji-man lands on injured list with elbow issues

Tampa Bay Rays' South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man has landed on the 10-day injured list (IL) with right elbow problems, with his red-hot start to the 2022 campaign coming to a screeching halt. The Rays made the move prior to their series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (local time). It is retroactive to Thursday. Choi had sat out for four straight days, but manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com that Choi was "trending in the right d

May 2, 2022

Padres' Kim Ha-seong sets career high with 3-hit game

San Diego Padres' South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong has established his major league career high with a three-hit performance. Kim went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, helping the Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Thursday (local time). Those three RBIs tied Kim's career best, first set last year during his rookie campaign. Kim is now batting .250/.362/.500 in 14 games this season with two home runs and eight RBIs. Batting ninth and playing third base, K

April 29, 2022

Suspended veterans swinging hot bats in minors ahead of KBO return

Three of the four suspended players for the NC Dinos have been putting up strong numbers against minor league pitching in recent days, with their reinstatement for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) less than a week away. Last July, infielders Park Sok-min and Park Min-woo, along with outfielders Kwon Hui-dong and Lee Myung-ki, were slapped with 72-game ban by the league for violating COVID-19 health and safety protocols. With the four-person limit on private gatherings still in effect in Seo

April 28, 2022

KBO outfielder thrives with newfound confidence

Confidence can be fleeting for athletes, but once they grab hold of it, it can do some wonderful things. Just ask Kim In-tae, the Doosan Bears outfielder who is finally blossoming into the dangerous hitter that many felt he would become after he was drafted fourth overall a decade ago. Finally playing on a regular basis at age 27, Kim is making the most of that opportunity. After a career-best three-hit game Tuesday against the NC Dinos, Kim is batting .338 with 26 hits, ranking eighth and sixth

April 27, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin set for live BP in move toward return from injury

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin will throw a live batting practice in the coming days, as he inches closer to a return from a left forearm injury. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters in Toronto on Monday (local time) that the club will see how the left-hander feels before determining if he will need another live session or a rehab start. Ryu will rejoin the rotation as soon as he is activated, Atkins added. Ryu landed on the 10-day injured list (IL) on A

April 26, 2022

KT Wiz lose slugger Henry Ramos to broken toe

The defending South Korean baseball champions KT Wiz have lost their second slugger to a toe injury this season, with the first-year import Henry Ramos getting his right pinky toe broken by a pitch over the weekend. The Wiz said Sunday evening the injury will take four to six weeks just to heal, and Ramos will likely need more time to get back into game shape. In Saturday's game against the NC Dinos, Ramos took a pitch by starter Song Myung-gi to his right foot in the bottom of the first inning.

April 25, 2022

Reigning KBO MVP demoted to minors following shaky outings

Over the course of a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, teams send players down to the minors all the time, either to have them rehab injuries or to help them get their acts together. Even established names can't avoid that fate if they get into a protracted slump. But rare is an MVP-winning player who is unceremoniously demoted to the Futures League, the KBO's little brother, in the opening weeks of a season. Ariel Miranda, the left-handed starter for the Doosan Bears who was voted the l

April 25, 2022

KBO attendance spikes on 1st weekend with cheering allowed

Attendance in the South Korean baseball league spiked over the weekend, with vocal cheering permitted for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning with Friday's games, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) allowed fans to sing and chant, just like in pre-pandemic times, in line with eased social distancing rules nationwide. Fans still have to keep their masks on while cheering, and they are banned from engaging in cheering activities while eating or drinking at the same time. The l

April 25, 2022

Padres' Kim Ha-seong hits 1st home run of season

San Diego Padres' South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong has gone deep for the first time this season. Kim smacked a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the seventh inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Wednesday (local time). With the Padres up 3-0, Kim, who started at third base and batted ninth, stepped into the box against Buck Farmer with one out and nobody on. Kim wasted no time as he jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Farmer, clocked at 93.5 mph, and sent it over the

April 21, 2022

2nd-generation KBO star breaks father's record, closes in on more milestones

Lee Jung-hoo is going where few others have gone before in South Korean baseball, breaking records, including one held by his father, along the way. And now Lee is on the verge of becoming the career batting average leader in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history. Lee, the veritable hitting machine for the Kiwoom Heroes, collected his 900th career hit against the Doosan Bears on Sunday. It came in his 670th game, making him the fastest to get to the 900-hit milestone. Lee's legendary father,

April 19, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin placed on 10-day injured list

The Toronto Blue Jays have placed their South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin on the 10-day injured list (IL) with left forearm inflammation. The Blue Jays made the move before hosting the Oakland Athletics for the final game of a three-game set in Toronto on Sunday (local time). Ryu had started Saturday's game against the A's at Rogers Centre and gave up five earned runs on six hits in four innings in a 7-5 Toronto loss. The left-hander, who left the game with a 5-1 deficit, got a no-decision as th

April 18, 2022