Bae Ji-hwan gets RBI, two runs on major league return

The number of Korean players currently active in the MLB doubled on Tuesday when Pittsburgh Pirates utility man Bae Ji-hwan was recalled to the majors to start against the San Francisco Giants.

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bae Ji-hwan high-fives in the dugout after scoring a run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

The number of Korean players currently active in the MLB doubled on Tuesday when Pittsburgh Pirates utility man Bae Ji-hwan was recalled to the majors to start against the San Francisco Giants.

Bae has spent the 2024 season in the minors, mainly with Triple-A Indianapolis, moving up to the big leagues for the first time on Tuesday.

He batted ninth and was played in center field, drawing a walk in the fifth inning and stealing second base before coming around to score.

Bae added a knock at the bottom of the ninth, driving in Jack Suwinski as the Pirates fought their way back from a 6-2 deficit. Bae later came around to score again himself, tying the score at 6-6 and forcing the game into extra innings.

The Pirates went on to win 7-6 in the 10th inning.

Bae was placed on the injured list in late March due to a strain in his hip muscle, recuperating first in Single-A and then Triple-A. Over 28 appearances in the minors this year, Bae batted .376 with 38 hits, 23 runs, 16 RBIs, four home runs and seven stolen bases.

Bae’s return to the big leagues makes him one of only two Korean players currently active in the MLB, alongside Gold Glove-winning Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres.

San Diego Padres shortstop Kim Ha-seong throws out Cincinnati Reds' Jeimer Candelario at first base during the second inning of a game in Cincinnati on Tuesday. [AP/YONHAP]

Kim is in the middle of another solid season, batting .214 with 37 hits, 25 runs, 22 RBIs, six home runs and 11 stolen bases on his line. He hit his sixth home run of the season earlier this week.

Lee Jung-hoo of the Giants, whom Bae would have faced on Tuesday, suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last week that will require surgery, sidelining the big league rookie early in what looked set to be a huge breakout year.

San Francisco Giants' Jung Hoo Lee, center, is escorted to the locker room by a trainer and his translator after an injury in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in San Francisco, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group via AP)

Giants center fielder Lee injured his left shoulder while trying to catch a double from Cincinnati Reds hitter Jeimer Candelario at Oracle Park in San Francisco on May 12.

Lee jumped to make the catch but the ball bounced off his glove and off the wall into play as Lee fell to the floor and grabbed his left shoulder. His teammates called for the trainers and Lee was led off the field with a trainer supporting his left arm.

Subsequent examinations revealed that Lee would require surgery, with the most recent reports out of San Francisco suggesting he is currently waiting to undergo the procedure.

Choi Ji-man, the most experienced Korean player left in the United States following the return of Ryu Hyun-jin to the KBO this year, has also spent the season in the minors with Triple-A Syracuse. Over 20 appearances for the team, Choi has a .194 batting average with 12 hits, five runs, nine RBIs and three home runs.

New York Mets' Choi Ji-man rounds third during spring training in Jupiter, Florida on March 9. [AP/YONHAP]

A big league veteran, Choi headed straight to the United States to kick off his career in 2010, eventually making his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016. His career since has taken him to the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates, and he is currently playing on a minor league contract with the New York Mets.

Park Hoy-jun, 28, has been stuck in the minors since 2022, last making a big league appearance for the Pirates in September of that year. Since then he is currently on a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics, batting .235 for the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators with 24 hits, 17 RBIs and one home run on the season.

Oakland Athletics' Park Hoy-jun stretches prior to a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels in Mesa, Arizona on March 23. [AP/YONHAP]

Go Woo-suk, the final Korean player with a shot at big league baseball, saw his MLB dreams fall apart hours before the season started, optioned from the Padres to the Double–A San Antonio Missions on the sidelines of the season opener in Seoul.

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Go Woo-suk jogs during spring training in Peoria, Arizona on Feb. 18. [AP/YONHAP]

Go has since been traded to the Miami Marlins where he is now pitching for the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp with a 4.50 ERA and a hold on his line after five appearances.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]