South Korean infielder Jung Ho Kang will rejoin the Pittsburgh Pirates organization for the first time since the start of the 2017 season, the team announced Thursday.
The 31-year-old Kang was placed on the restricted list in March of 2017 due to visa issues that resulted when he was arrested in his native country for DUI.
“After a lengthy process, we are pleased that Jung Ho has been allowed to reenter to the United States,” Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a team statement. “We are encouraged by the steps that Jung Ho has taken to date and are hopeful that having the game he loves taken away from him for more than a year has driven home the reality that he must make better life decisions as we move forward together.
As we have communicated to him throughout this process, we will work to provide Jung Ho with the resources and support necessary for him to meet the high expectations that we have for him as a member of our organization and our community.”
Kang received an eight-month suspended prison sentence last year after a DUI arrest in December 2016, his third in South Korea. The sentence was suspended for two years.
Darnold came off the bench in 2016 and won eight of nine starts, establishing himself as the Heisman favorite for 2017. He led USC to its first Pac-12 title since 2008, setting the school’s single-season record with 4,143 passing yards. But he also threw 13 interceptions and lost nine fumbles.
“It feels amazing,” he said after being picked. “It really is a dream come true.”
Curry, a two-time MVP and five-time All-Star, will be re-evaluated Friday. It will be his third and final test before the Warriors determine whether to give him the green light to take the court Saturday. He would start right away if cleared.
Before Curry’s status was upgraded, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gave the Warriors an 87 percent chance to win their series with the Pelicans.
With Curry in the lineup this past season, the Warriors went 41-10 while averaging 120.4 points per 100 possessions, which would be the best offensive rating over the past 20 seasons. With him off the floor, however, the Warriors were only 17-14 in the regular season and had an offensive efficiency that was right around the league average.
Golden State went 3-1 against New Orleans in the regular season. In games Curry has played against the Pelicans, the Warriors are 25-5.
Both players chuckled as they looked back, but Mayfield conceded that some of his actions contradict the “humble” tag that Browns general manager John Dorsey gave him after drafting him.
“I’m not blind to that,” he said.