South Korean pitcher Lim Chang-yong, under contract with the Chicago Cubs, made a scoreless debut for the big league club’s Triple-A affiliate on Monday, Korean time, taking another step closer to Major League Baseball.

Lim, who was called up to the Iowa Cubs in the Pacific Coast League on Saturday, threw two shutout innings as the team’s third and last pitcher against the Oklahoma City RedHawks, giving up two hits and striking out two batters.

The RedHawks prevailed 4-3.

The 37-year-old right-hander made one appearance for the Tennessee Smokies in Double-A, one notch below Triple-A in the U.S. minor leagues, last week, before moving to Iowa.

Triple-A is the highest level in minor-league ball.

Lim, who signed with the Chicago Cubs last December, has gone from the Rookie League, the lowest level in the minors, to Triple-A in just a month.

Rehabbing from a major elbow surgery from last year, Lim made his first Rookie League appearance on June 24 and went to the Daytona Cubs in Advanced Class-A on July 13. (Yonhap News)