Jung Ho Kang's season in the Dominican Winter League has come to an abrupt end.
According to a report from the Yonhap News Agency, Kang was released by Aguilas Cibaenas after struggling in 24 games.
Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League have released #Pirates 3B Jung-Ho Kang, according to his agency in Korea. Was batting just .143/.219/.209 in 24 games there. Kang remains without U.S. work permit following his DUI conviction in Korea.
— Jeeho Yoo (@Jeeho_1) November 27, 2017
The 30-year-old third baseman was 12-of-84, slashing .143/.219/.202 with only three extra-base hits, including one home run, and 31 strikeouts to eight walks. He signed with the team to become reacclimated to baseball after missing all of 2017 because he could not obtain a work visa stemming from his third DUI conviction in his native South Korea.
The Pirates sent a pitching machine to South Korea for Kang to use during the season, but that did very little to prepare him for live pitching. The hope was that Kang would receive enough at-bats for Aguilas Cibaenas to prepare him to potentially return to the team in 2018.
However, it is common for teams in the league to cut players from Major League Baseball if they do not perform well. The Pirates expected Kang to struggle early in the Dominican Winter League, but he will now miss almost the final month of the regular season.
The Pirates' offense struggled without him in 2017. They ranked 27th in batting average, 28th in runs, 29th in home runs and 28th in OPS. Besides his production, Kang was a bargain for a power-hitting third baseman.
Kang, who was scheduled to make $2.75 million this season, hit 21 home runs with a .354 on-base percentage in 103 games in 2016. He finished third in the rookie of the year voting in 2015 after he played nine years in the Korea Baseball Organization.
His fate is uncertain, but now the Pirates will now try to focus on another way to prepare him for a possible return to Pittsburgh in 2018. Meanwhile, they must access both external and internal options in case he is unable to return to the United States.
David Freese, Sean Rodriguez, Adam Frazier and José Osuna are all capable of playing third base, although Osuna just began playing the position in the Venezuelan Winter League.