In good news for the Pirates, third baseman Jung Ho Kang said Friday he is ahead of schedule in returning to action from traumatic leg injuries suffered late last season.
In quirky news, Kang also revealed he has a really cool tattoo of himself on his left leg, just below his surgical scar.
@Pirates Jung Ho Kang has his face tattooed on his leg. pic.twitter.com/oXcgu5KcTd
— Travis Durkee (@Travis_Durkee) February 20, 2016
PHOTOS: Athletes tell their stories on their skin | Best of baseball tattoos
More on the tat later.
First, Kang told Pittsburgh’s KDKA Channel 2 he is progressing faster in his rehab than either he or the Pirates had expected. Kang suffered a torn MCL and broken leg while trying to turn a double play against the Cubs in a take-out slide by Chris Coghlan.
The initial recovery time was expected to be six to eight months. However, neither he nor the Pirates have ruled out his possible return for opening day. He stayed in Florida the entire offseason to rehab.
Kang is clearly eager to get back on the field.
“I feel bad about last season that I couldn’t help the team win,” he said.
As for the tattoo, Kang showed it off to KDKA reporter Rich Walsh, saying, “It’s me.” Kang said he got the tattoo two years ago.
As Walsh helpfully noted, “He is the only one in the Pirates’ locker room with a tattoo of himself.”
Kang, a former star in South Korea’s KBO League, hit 15 home runs with a slash line of .287/.355/.461 in his MLB debut last year. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year balloting.