Ex-MLB player Kim Hyun-soo to lead S. Korean Olympic baseball team

More than a decade after helping South Korea to an improbable Olympic baseball gold medal, former major league outfielder Kim Hyun-soo will try to do it again. Kim was named to the 24-player roster Wednesday, joined by another former major leaguer, KT Wiz infielder Hwang Jae-gyun, on an otherwise youthful roster of Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) stars. Baseball will return to the Olympics for the July 23-Aug. 8 competition in the Japanese capital, after being left off in the past two compet

June 16, 2021

Blue Jays' Ryu, Cardinals' Kim to start on same day for 2nd time in '21

Can second time be the charm? For the second time this season, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays and Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals will start on the same day in the majors -- Tuesday evening in America and Wednesday morning in their native land. Ryu and the Jays will host the New York Yankees at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, at 7:07 p.m. Tuesday local time, or 8:07 a.m. Wednesday in Seoul. Kim and the Cardinals will bring home the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium at 7:15 p.

June 15, 2021

Rays' Choi Ji-man activated following IL stint with groin injury

The Tampa Bay Rays have activated their South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man from the injured list (IL), following an 11-day stint with a groin injury. Choi was in the starting lineup as the No. 3 hitter against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Monday (local time). Choi had been placed on the IL on June 4, retroactive to the previous day, with a left groin strain. "I am feeling great. I've had some rest, and built my body back up through training and practice

June 15, 2021

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun placed on IL with back tightness

St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun is on the injured list (IL) for the second time this season, with the same condition that kept him sidelined in spring. The Cardinals placed Kim on the 10-day IL on Saturday (local time) with right back tightness, a day after the left-hander exited his start against the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the fourth inning. Kim also missed time during spring training and at the start of the regular season with the back problem. In Frida

June 6, 2021

2 Korean MLB starters suffer losses on disastrous day

It was all of South Korean baseball fans' worst nightmares rolled into one. Two major league starters from South Korea, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays and Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals, got the nod on the same day -- Friday evening in America, when it was Saturday morning in their home country. And both took losses, while Kim exited his start early with a lower back injury. They made four regular season starts on the same day last year and both notched victories on Sept. 24.

June 5, 2021

KBO-leading Landers lose ace to elbow injury; another starter sidelined

The first-place team in South Korean baseball this season will lose an ace for the rest of the year to an elbow surgery, with another starting pitcher facing a similar fate. The SSG Landers announced Friday that submariner Park Jong-hun will undergo a season-ending elbow operation in Los Angeles next week. Park flew to the US earlier this week to get a second opinion on his ailing right elbow from Dr. Neal ElAttrache at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic. A doctor in Seoul initially recommended su

June 4, 2021

KBO to ease distancing rules for fans at stadiums

The top professional baseball league on Monday announced plans to relax social distancing rules on seating arrangements at stadiums during the COVID-19 pandemic, no longer requiring fans traveling in groups to put unoccupied seats between members of their parties. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said up to four fans will be allowed to sit in a row if they're attending games as a group. The KBO said it reached the decision following consultations with national health authorities and the sp

May 31, 2021

Early-season woes continue for 2 S. Korean left-handers in MLB

For the second time this season, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals and Yang Hyeon-jong of the Texas Rangers made a start on the same day. And for the second time, neither of them notched a victory. In fact, both South Korean left-handers suffered their third consecutive loss. Kim gave up four runs on nine hits in five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sunday (local time). The Cardinals spotted him a 2-0 lead after two, but Kim couldn't keep his team

May 31, 2021

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun takes 3rd straight loss vs. lowly Diamondbacks

Unable to make an early lead stand against the worst club in the National League, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals has now lost three consecutive starts. Kim was saddled with the loss as the Cardinals fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-2 at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sunday (local time). Kim allowed four runs on a season-worst nine hits. He struck out one and walked one, as he dropped to 1-3 for the year and saw his ERA rise from 3.09 to 3.65. Kim's only victory of the year came on Apr

May 31, 2021

Rangers' Yang Hyeon-jong yanked early in loss to Mariners

Another start, another short day on the mound for Yang Hyeon-jong. The Texas Rangers' South Korean starter lasted only three innings in a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Sunday (local time). The left-hander allowed three runs -- one unearned -- on five hits and a walk, as he dropped to 0-3 for the year. His ERA went up from 5.47 to 5.53. Yang struck out two and needed a whopping 70 pitches -- 49 strikes -- to retire nine batters, including 26 in the opening inni

May 31, 2021

Unlikely Opening Day starter emerges as ace for Eagles

While many other clubs sent out their foreign aces to begin the new Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season last month, the Hanwha Eagles gave the symbolic Opening Day assignment to homegrown right-hander Kim Min-woo. It was a surprising choice, given that the Eagles' new American lefty, Ryan Carpenter, appeared to have earned that opportunity with an excellent preseason. In 2020, Kim flashed promise that made him the No. 1 overall pick at the 2014 draft, but finished with a pedestrian 5-10 re

May 30, 2021

Team loss aside, duel against compatriot a fun experience for Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin

It was a battle within a battle, as Toronto Blue Jays' ace Ryu Hyun-jin went up against fellow South Korean, Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman Choi Ji-man, for the first time in their major league careers. The Rays took the game 6-4 at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Sunday (local time). But the all-Korean pitcher-batter duel between Ryu and Choi, both graduates of Dongsan High School in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, ended in the pitcher's favor. Ryu got Choi to ground out in his first

May 24, 2021

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin takes no-decision vs. Rays, gives up double to fellow Korean

Pitching into the seventh inning for the third straight start wasn't enough for Ryu Hyun-jin to stop the Toronto Blue Jays' slide. The South Korean left-hander settled for a no-decision after holding the Tampa Bay Rays to two runs on eight hits over 6 2/3 innings at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Sunday (local time). Ryu struck out seven and walked one, before leaving the game with two outs in the seventh and the score knotted at 2-2. His ERA rose slightly from 2.51 to 2.53, while his reco

May 24, 2021

Rangers' Yang Hyeon-jong earns spot in starting rotation

However temporary it may be, South Korean pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong has earned a place in the starting rotation for the Texas Rangers. In a pregame interview before hosting the New York Yankees in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday (local time), Rangers manager Chris Woodward said Yang, who started the previous day in place of the injured Kohei Arihara, will get more looks in the rotation. "As of right now, I'd say Yang probably stays in that spot," Woodward said in a Zoom call. "We're

May 21, 2021

Rays' Choi Ji-man stays hot, reaches base 4 times in rout

After missing the first quarter of the 2021 season, Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman Choi Ji-man is playing as though he wants to make up for all that lost time. The South Korean infielder went 1-for-3 with three walks and an RBI in a 10-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Thursday (local time). Choi missed the first 41 games of the season following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on March 31. He made his season debut last Sunday and went 3-for-4

May 21, 2021

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin tosses gem in win over Red Sox

A month after getting knocked around against the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays' ace Ryu Hyun-jin got his revenge with a gem against one of the best offenses in baseball. Ryu threw seven shutout innings to help the Jays to an 8-0 victory at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Tuesday (local time). Ryu improved to 4-2 for the season and lowered his ERA from 2.95 to 2.51. Ryu allowed only four hits and struck out seven to match his season high. This was Ryu's second start against the Red Sox

May 19, 2021

Rangers' Yang Hyeon-jong to take up 'bulk' role vs. Yankees

When Texas Rangers' South Korean pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong makes his next appearance this week, he'll once again be asked to eat up multiple innings out of the bullpen. In his pregame Zoom call before hosting the New York Yankees in Arlington, Texas, on Monday (local time), Rangers manager Chris Woodward said Yang will take the mound Wednesday for the third game of the four-game series -- not as a starter but as a "bulk" guy, a fairly new term for a pitcher who takes the ball in the sec

May 18, 2021

Rays' Choi Ji-min collects 3 hits in season debut

Coming off a knee surgery, Tampa Bay Rays' Choi Ji-man has punctuated his long-awaited season debut with a three-hit performance. Choi batted 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run against the New York Mets at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (local time), contributing to a 7-1 victory. Choi had missed the first 41 games of the season following arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on March 31. Choi was activated from the 10-day injured list Saturday but waited another day before

May 17, 2021

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin goes 7 strong vs. Braves for 3rd win of season

In a vintage performance backed up by late run support, Toronto Blue Jays' ace Ryu Hyun-jin has picked up his third win of the season. Ryu threw seven strong innings against the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta on Wednesday (local time), allowing just a run on five hits while striking out six in a 4-1 victory. Ryu improved to 3-2 and lowered his ERA from 3.31 to 2.95. His 94 pitches were one shy of his season high. Ryu is the only Blue Jays starter to go at least seven innings this year, and he has

May 13, 2021

Rangers' Yang Hyeon-jong likely to stay in bullpen for now

Yang Hyeon-jong may have to wait a few more days before making his next start for the Texas Rangers. With right-hander Kohei Arihara landing on the 10-day injured list (IL) over the weekend, Yang appeared to be in line to make a spot start this week against the Houston Astros. The South Korean left-hander pitched 3 1/3 solid innings against the Minnesota Twins in place of Arihara last Wednesday, following two bullpen appearances. Instead, manager Chris Woodward said Monday (US local time) that

May 11, 2021