PIRATES
Kang gets visa, will rejoin club
PITTSBURGH -- Jung Ho Kang is back in the United States and on his way to rejoining the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The club announced Thursday that the South Korean third baseman has been granted a work visa by the U.S. government and will report to the team's training complex in Bradenton, Fla.
Kang, 31, last played for the Pirates in 2016. He was arrested in South Korea on DUI charges for a third time in December 2016 and received an eight-month suspended prison sentence that led to visa issues.
Pittsburgh, which signed Kang to an $11 million, four-year contract in January 2015, placed Kang on the restricted list last March after Kang failed to secure a visa.
Pirates President Frank Coonelly said the team is pleased have to Kang back, but added Kang must fulfill obligations under a treatment program he agreed to as a condition of his return.
Kang finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 after becoming the first position player to make the leap from the Korean Baseball Organization directly to the majors. He hit .287 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI for Pittsburgh in 2015 as the Pirates won 98 games and reached the playoffs for a third consecutive year. He added 21 home runs in 2016.
RED SOX, YANKEES
Kelly, Austin lose appeals
TORONTO -- Joe Kelly's appeal of a six-game suspension was denied by John McHale Jr., a special assistant to baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, and the Boston pitcher started serving the penalty on Thursday night against Toronto.
Kelly was disciplined for twice throwing at the New York Yankees' Tyler Austin on April 11.
Austin charged the mound and was suspended five games. He appealed and his suspension was reduced to four games, according to Newsday. He will begin serving the penalty today as the Yankees open a road series with the Los Angeles Angels.
Austin has 9 hits in his last 28 at-bats with 2 home runs, 4 doubles and 10 RBI.
Kelly has a 3.09 ERA in 11 games this season. After allowing four runs in one-third of an inning in an opening-day loss to Tampa Bay, Kelly has not allowed a run in 111/3 innings. Boston will have to play with 24 active players during his suspension.
REDS
Suarez activated from DL
CINCINNATI -- Third baseman Eugenio Suarez was activated from the 10-day disabled list by the Cincinnati Reds and went 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts in Thursday's 7-4 loss to Atlanta.
Suarez broke his right thumb April 8 when he was hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh's Jameson Taillon.
Cincinnati promoted infielder-outfielder Rosell Herrera from Class AAA Louisville and optioned outfielder Phillip Ervin and infielder Cliff Pennington to the International League farm team.
Ervin and Pennington each played in 16 games for the Reds. Ervin hit .211 and Pennington .138.
INDIANS
Miller goes on 10-day DL
CLEVELAND -- Reliever Andrew Miller has been placed on the 10-day disabled list by the Cleveland Indians because of a strained left hamstring.
Miller grabbed the back of his leg after throwing a pitch to the Chicago Cubs' Anthony Rizzo in the seventh inning Wednesday night and was removed from the game. Miller had an MRI on Thursday.
"The weather was warming up and I feel like I was kind of making the adjustments I had been looking to make," he said. "It's just unfortunate this kind of stalled what I thought was going to be a really nice run."
Miller struck out 17 and walked 4 over 10 scoreless innings in 11 games this year.
"We lean on him so hard," Indians Manager Terry Francona said. "Then there's the temptation to bring him back early. Even though he doesn't want to go on the DL, it's the right thing to do. It's just hard to do it. But it's the right thing to do."
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 04/27/2018