(LEAD) MLB-player
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| ▲ In this Associated Press photo, Park Hoy-jun of the New York Yankees catches a fly ball hit by Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox in the top of the ninth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 16, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this Associated Press photo, Park Hoy-jun of the New York Yankees (C) watches his team in action against the Boston Red Sox in a Major League Baseball regular season game at Yankee Stadium in New York on July 16, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from July 5, 2014, South Korean baseball player Park Hoy-jun adjusts his New York Yankees cap during a press conference in Seoul announcing his signing with the club. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) MLB-player
(LEAD) S. Korean Park Hoy-jun makes MLB debut with Yankees
(ATTN: CHANGES headline, lead, photos; UPDATES throughout with debut)
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) -- Seven years after signing his first U.S. contract, South Korean infielder Park Hoy-jun can finally call himself a major league player.
Wearing No. 98 on the iconic pinstripe jersey, Park made his big league debut for the New York Yankees in the Bronx on Friday (local time). He came off the bench against the Boston Red Sox in a 4-0 loss at Yankee Stadium.
Park pinch-hit for No. 9 hitter Tim Locastro with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. With runners on first and third and the Yankees down 3-0, Park swung on the first pitch from Tanner Houck and grounded out to first.
Park remained in the game as the new right fielder in the top of the eighth inning. Park caught a fly ball off the bat of Rafael Devers to open the ninth.
The Yankees signed Park to a major league deal and put him on the 26-man roster before this game.
Park is now the 25th South Korean to appear in a major league game. There are currently four active major leaguers from the country: Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays, Kim Kwang-hyun of the St. Louis Cardinals, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays and Park's former high school teammate, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres.
Before Park, Choi and Park Chan-ho had worn the Yankees' signature pinstripes among South Koreans.
Left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong pitched briefly for the Texas Rangers earlier in the season but is currently in Triple-A.
The Bronx Bombers have put six players on the COVID-19 injured list this week and needed healthy bodies for a series against the Boston Red Sox to begin the second half of the season.
Park, a highly touted prospect out of Yatap High School in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, signed with the Yankees organization in July 2014 and began his minor league career at rookie ball in 2015.
The 25-year-old reached Triple-A for the first time this year. He put up an impressive .325/.475/.541 line with eight homers, 25 RBIs and six steals in 44 games for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He had 43 walks and 41 strikeouts. Park has mostly played second base and shortstop in the minors but has also appeared in center field and left field this year for the RailRiders.
The Yankees opened the second half in a disappointing fourth place in the American League (AL) East at 46-43. They have been getting dismal offensive production from their middle infielders.
They're second-to-last among 15 AL clubs in on-base slugging percentage (OPS) by shortstops with .628 and 10th by second basemen with .691.
Rougned Odor, who had three 30-homer seasons for the Texas Rangers, hasn't been able to duplicate his power production after joining the Yankees in an April trade. The veteran second baseman is hitting .219/.290/.426 with nine homers and 21 RBIs in 53 games.
Shortstop Gleyber Torres, two years removed from a 38-homer, 90-RBI campaign, is stuck at three homers through 78 games. Both Odor and Torres started Friday's game.
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