The Pittsburgh Pirates could soon be getting their forgotten slugger back.
Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reported on Thursday that Jung Ho Kang, who is officially on the Pirates’ restricted list, has been granted a United States work visa and plans to rejoin the team shortly.
Breaking: 3B Jung Ho Kang has been granted US work visa and plans to soon rejoin #Pirates. Details momentarily, only in @TheAthleticPGH
— Rob c (@RobBiertempfel) April 26, 2018
Kang, the South Korean infielder, has not played since the 2016 season when he hit 21 home runs and 62 RBIs for Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old’s legal troubles, including multiple DUI arrests over the years in his native country, had created issues with his work visa and put his MLB future in limbo.
This should definitely come as a pleasant surprise for the third-place Pirates, who were not at all expecting to get Kang back.
