DETROIT -- Pirates shortstop prospect Ji-Hwan Bae has been suspended 30 days without pay, effective tomorrow, for violating the Minor League Baseball player domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.
In October, Bae was found guilty of assaulting his girlfriend in his native South Korea but avoided jail time. The 19-year-old was playing for Low-A Greensboro in the South Atlantic League but will be transferred to extended spring training in Bradenton, Fla.
“The Pittsburgh Pirates strongly support Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy and agree with the need for significant penalties for any violation of this policy,” Neal Huntington said in a statement released by the team. “The Pirates are committed to a culture that respects women on all levels and across all aspects of our organization.
“Ji-Hwan has completed a treatment program under the MLB policy. We will continue to work with him to ensure that he understands and adheres to the obligations and standards that are required of a professional baseball player and a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.”
The Pirates gave Bae a $1.25-million signing bonus in 2017 and he made his professional debut last year in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League.
The Braves originally signed Bae for $300,000. However, he was made a free agent by MLB when it found Atlanta had also paid Bae $600,000 under the table to avoid exceeding its signing-bonus pool limit.
Bae was 2-for-18 (.111) with a triple and three RBIs at Greensboro. Last season, he batted .271/.362/.349 with 13 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 35 games.
