After recommendation, Jung Ho Kang will enter a treatment program following a recent DUI arrest.
Kang was arrested in early December for the third time since 2009 in his native South Korea for drunk driving. As a result, his driver’s license has been suspended. The 29-year-old was originally scheduled to participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic. That, however, will not be the case as Kang has been removed from the squad.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are expecting Kang to join the rest of the team for spring training later this month.
“Still working through the process,” Huntington told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “The expectation is that Kang will arrive and be ready to go. But until that happens, there’s always a chance that we could hit a snag.”
After spending nine seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization, Kang signed with the Pirates ahead of the 2015 season. In his first season, he hit .287 with 24 doubles, 15 home runs, and 87 RBI on the way to finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. In 20016, Kang hit .255 with 19 doubles, 21 home runs, and 62 RBI.
H/T Sporting News
