Cheng Tsung-che, who was designated for assignment by the MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates in the middle of last month, has been claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rays’ decision to add Cheng to their 40-man roster is a positive turn for the 24-year-old middle infielder, who had been designated for assignment just one week after getting married.
Pittsburgh designated Cheng and outfielder Marco Luciano for assignment following a three-team trade with the Rays and the Houston Astros that brought in Jake Mangum, Brandon Lowe and Mason Montgomery.
Photo: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
The move could affect Cheng’s participation in the World Baseball Classic in March. Cheng has previously expressed willingness to play for Taiwan and had received approval from the Pirates, but his availability now depends on the Rays’ plans.
Ranked as the Pirates’ No. 9 prospect in 2024, Cheng is known for his fielding prowess at second base and shortstop. After signing with Pittsburgh in July 2019, his MLB debut was delayed for nearly two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cheng was called up to the major leagues in early April last year after just 11 games at the Triple-A level, following injuries to second baseman Nick Gonzales and utility player Jared Triolo.
He made his MLB debut on April 9, but went hitless in seven at-bats across three games before being optioned back to Triple-A for the remainder of the season.
In 107 Triple-A games last year, Cheng batted .207 with a .307 on-base percentage, recording one home run and 36 RBIs. He struck out 99 times and stole 18 bases at a 72 percent success rate.
BOUNCING BACK: Antetokounmpo had just returned from an eight-game injury absence last month, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their third win in four games Giannis Antetokounmpo threw down the game-winning dunk with 4.7 seconds remaining to lift the Milwaukee Bucks to a 122-121 victory over the Charlotte Hornets and grab a slice of NBA history on Friday. The Bucks trailed by as many as 16 on their home floor, but Antetokounmpo scored 12 of his 30 points in the final quarter to help seal the win in a frantic finish that saw five lead changes in the final 45.7 seconds. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) added 10 rebounds and five assists. It was his 158th regular-season game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and
For the first time in almost 36 years, a Parisian derby will be played in French soccer’s top flight when reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain FC take on the nouveau riche Paris Football Club (PFC) today. Not one of the players involved in today’s match — PFC’s 38-year-old third-choice goalkeeper Remy Riou is almost certainly not going to be involved — was born the last time there was a Parisian derby in Ligue 1. That was on Feb. 25, 1990, when Moroccan midfielder Aziz Bouderbala scored a brace as Racing Paris 1 beat PSG 2-1 at the Parc des Princes home that
Stan Wawrinka’s 40-year-old legs did not let him down over three-plus hours in his first singles match of a farewell tour yesterday. Three-time Grand Slam singles champion Wawrinka beat Arthur Rinderknech of France, who is ranked 29th to Wawrinka’s 157th, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). The match went 3 hours, 16 minutes. Wawrinka last month announced that this year would be his last on the ATP tour. “Today was a tough battle ... it’s amazing to come here for the first time, to have so much support,” Wawrinka said yesterday. “Twenty years on tour, you kind of always play in the same place
Manchester City have confirmed defender Josko Gvardiol suffered a broken leg in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. Gvardiol was one of two City centerbacks who went off injured in the second half, along with Ruben Dias, before Enzo Fernandez scored a stoppage-time equalizer for the visitors. The draw left second-placed City six points behind English Premier League leaders Arsenal. City, announcing Gvardiol sustained a tibial fracture to his right leg, added in a statement issued on Monday: “The defender will have surgery later this week and assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the
RSS