Jung Ho Kang appeals DUI sentence

Jung Ho Kang will appeal his DUI sentence, Jeeho Yoo tweets. (Hat tip to MLBTR, which found tweets I missed the first time around.) The idea, Yoo writes, is that Kang wants to reduce his sentence to a court fine, which would help him secure his visa so that he can join the Pirates in the US.

About two weeks ago, Kang was sentenced in the case, receiving an eight-month suspended sentence that would keep him out of jail if he complied with its terms. Essentially, he was placed on probation.

At this point, we’re well into March, and there are few signs that Kang’s situation will be resolved soon. It looks like the Pirates will have to start the season without him, and their recent decision to place him on the restricted list appears to plan for that contingency. That means David Freese and others will likely take over the bulk of work at third in his place, and that Phil Gosselin and Alen Hanson have better chances of breaking camp with the team than they otherwise might.