Struggling South Korean infielder Choi Ji-man has accepted an assignment to the minors in the Los Angeles Angels system after clearing waivers, reports said Monday.

The Angels designated Choi for assignment last Wednesday to make room on their 40-man roster for pitcher Jhoulys Chacin, acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves. He will now resume his season with the Angels' Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.

Choi, 24, joined the Angels via the Rule 5 Draft in December, after signing a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He spent his first five seasons in the Seattle Mariners' system.

Choi made his major league debut this season but went just 1-for-18 with six walks, while splitting his time at first base and left field.

The Rule 5 Draft is open to players who were 19 or older when they first signed with an MLB club and have been in professional baseball for four years, or those who were 18 or younger at the time of their signing and have played for five years. The Angels paid the Orioles US$50,000 to select Choi.

The team that picks a player in the Rule 5 Draft must keep him on its 25-man roster for the entire season, and the player has to be active -- without a stint on the disabled list -- for a minimum of 90 days.

When Choi was designated for assignment, Angels' manager Mike Scioscia said he hoped the South Korean would remain in the organization and wanted Choi to improve his plate discipline. After Choi cleared waivers and didn't sign a minor league deal with another club, it became possible for the Halos to retain him in the minors.

Choi batted .302/.404/.481 with 35 home runs, 211 RBIs and 14 steals in 335 minor league games. (Yonhap)