Taiwanese slugger Yu Chang has clinched a spot on the Boston Red Sox’s opening-day roster after bouncing around the MLB last year.
The Red Sox on Monday announced that Chang had made the team as a utility infielder after they optioned infielder Bobby Dalbec to their Triple-A league team, the Worcester Red Sox.
Chang last month signed a one-year US$850,000 contract with Boston after finishing last season with the club and appearing in 11 games.
Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY
Although he only batted .150 in 26 appearances at the plate, he drew five walks and had an on-base percentage of .346.
Before joining the Red Sox, he also last year played with the Cleveland Guardians, who he had been with from 2019 to 2021, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .208 in 69 games.
He made a name for himself at this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), where the 27-year-old Taitung County native was Taiwan’s top slugger and named the Most Valuable Player of Pool A, hitting .438 (seven for 16) with two home runs and eight RBIs in four games.
That performance might have influenced Boston’s decision given that Chang did not play his first spring training game until Monday, when the Red Sox lost 6-1 to the Atlanta Braves in North Port, Florida.
Chang started as the team’s second baseman and had a double in three at-bats.
Hitting ninth, he was retired on a deep fly ball to center field in the third inning, then doubled to left field in the sixth inning to give the Red Sox their first hit of the game.
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