Hwang returns to Major League
Infielder Hwang Jae-gyun is back with the San Francisco Giants after spending six days in the minor leagues.
The Giants recalled Hwang from Triple-A Sacramento on Friday (local time), just six days after optioning him to the minors. It was also Hwang’s 30th birthday.
Hwang had to spend at least 10 days there unless he was replacing an injured player.
The Giants placed right-hander Chris Stratton on the disabled list with a calf injury to make room for Hwang.
Hwang batted sixth and played third base in his first game back, and made a quick impression by driving in a run and scoring another.
With the Giants trailing 2-1 in the top seventh, Hwang bounced a single up the middle to bring home the tying run.
He came around to score the go-ahead run on a double by Nick Hundley, his slide just beating the relay throw home.
He ended up 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
The Giants added another run in the seventh to lead 4-2 but promptly gave up four runs in the bottom half of the seventh to lose 6-4.
Hwang, who bats right-handed, is also expected to be in the lineup when the Dodgers send their South Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin to the mound Sunday.
The Giants will also face another southpaw, Rich Hill, in Saturday’s game.
Hwang and Ryu both started their pro careers in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before moving to the United States.