Twins suspend pitcher for driving while drunk

LG Twins pitcher Jeong Chan-heon got a three-month suspension in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League for drunk driving.

The Seoul-based club announced on Monday that it suspended the 25-year-old for three months and imposed a 10 million won ($9,070) fine.

Jeong, who was drunk when driving his vehicle on early Monday morning, had a minor collision with a motorcycle in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul. After the accident, the Gwangju-born player reported to his club that he was questioned at a police station about the crash.

Hours before the collision, the Twins lost to Nexen Heroes 4-3 on Sunday, and Jeong picked up his sixth loss of the season after giving up two runs in 1 1/3 innings including a home run.

The suspension is likely to have a huge impact on the Twins because Jeong has played a significant role in the bullpen. Since May 3, the Twins have fallen to ninth place. The only team behind them is KT Wiz, which is in its first season in the KBO.

Jeong made his pro debut in 2008 and has a 5.38 career ERA. In 51 games last season, he marked 4.44 ERA and has been considered a core part of the club’s bullpen. Despite a 5.52 ERA this season, the pitcher appeared 32 games and recorded three wins, five holds and one save point with six losses as of Monday.

To fill his place, the Twins on Tuesday added 23-year-old Lee Seung-hyun from their minor squad. Lee, who turned pro in 2010, has yet to play a single game in the KBO League.

BY NAM YOON-SEO [nam.yoonse.joongang.co.kr]