Pirates eyeing mid-April return for Jung Ho Kang

Jung Ho Kang to get “dirt on his cleats” this week

It was one of the biggest questions the Pirates had going into spring training – will Jung Ho Kang be ready to start Opening Day? Well now the answer is coming from the proverbial horse’s mouth. According to Joseph Kim, source for all things Korean players in the MLB, in a live interview with Korean station MBC Sports Plus on March 4th, when asked about his return to the game, Kang told interviewers that he didn’t know when exactly, but the Pirates expected him to come back in mid-April.

This is not a surprise. From nearly the moment the severity of the injury he sustained by the now-infamous September 17th take out slide by the Cubs’ Chris Coghlan was known, the predictions were for a six-to-eight month recovery period. In other words – a return to full baseball activities anywhere between March and May of the 2016 season. Still, hopes were high, especially given the obvious work Kang put into rehab, that come Opening Day, he’d be manning third base.

But those hopes are fading. As reported by MLB.com Pirates beat writer Adam Berry, Pirates Head Trainer Todd Tomczyc told media today that Kang’s objective this week was to “get the dirt on his cleats” and do “linear” running. It’s a sure sign that Kang is continuing to progress in rehab – but with Opening Day just 25 days away, it’s likely not enough time for him to be ready to take on the Cardinals at PNC April 3rd.

According to all reports, his and the Pirates’ included, Kang has followed a rigorous rehab program primarily in Pittsburgh and in Bradenton throughout his recovery to get to this point. In fact, reports Daniel Kim, studio analyst for KBSn and writer covering the MLB and KBO, Kang’s dedication to rehab kept him from visiting South Korea during the offseason altogether.

JH Kang told OSEN that he wanted to go home for offseason but chose not to bc of #Pirates fans. Felt he owed them max efforts in rehab.

— Daniel Kim 대니얼 김 (@DanielKimW) February 26, 2016

In other Kang news, his leap from the KBO to MLB success last year set off a virtual firestorm of bids for Korean players to hop the Pacific and try out baseball in North America. In the 2016 season, there could be a total of seven Korean players in the major leagues aside from Kang. They include Shin-Soo Choo with the Texas Rangers, Hyun-jin Ryu with the LA Dodgers, and MLB rookies Byung-ho Park with the Minnesota Twins, Hyun Soo Kim with the Orioles, and Dae-ho Lee with the Seattle Mariners. MLB reports that Kang is mentoring both Park and Kim on how to adjust to life in the major leagues and in America. That is good for his fellow countrymen, but apparently bad for his airtime in Korea. Joseph Kim reports that, currently, MBC carries the rights to broadcast games in South Korea on their sports channels, but will often air games on its main channel when Korean superstars are playing. Last year, Kang and the Pirates got a lot of coverage, but this year he’ll have to share that time with Ryu, Choo, Park, Kim, and Lee.

As Opening Day draws closer, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the latest news in regards to Jung Ho Kang.

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