"Korean filial piety → WBC participation" Witcom makes a surprise call-up! He will play in MLB with 'Former Hanwha' Weiss

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean infielder Shay Witcom (28, Houston Astros), who played as a member of the Korean national team at the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) in March, will be able to make the major league stage again. Although he failed to make his name on the opening roster, he will try to play for the first time since the 2025 season after showing compliance in the minor leagues.

The Houston Astros announced on their official channel on the 4th (Korea Standard Time) that they put infielder Isaac Paredes (27) on the Bereaved List and called up Shay Witcom from the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys as an active roster. According to multiple local media outlets, Paredes was reported to have suffered a grandmother's injury.

Witcom is a Korean-born player with a Korean mother (Yoon-hee Witnum), who represented Korea in "Mother's Country" at the WBC held in March and made her name known to domestic fans. At that time, he expressed his desire to play for his mother with explosive long-range power and dedicated defense, earning him the nickname of a "good son infielder" and playing as a mainstay of the national team.

The call-up is a measure to fill the gap created by the departure of key infielder Paredes due to personal reasons. In addition to the utility's ability to play all infield positions, Witcom will support the team's infield firepower based on its elevated hitting performance in Triple-A this season. The Major League's official website, MLB.com , marked Witcom's position in left field first.

Witcom has achieved compliance in the minor leagues. In this six Triple-A games, he had a batting average of 0.308 (9 hits in 26 at-bats) with two homers and seven RBIs, and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.910 was good. On the 2nd, he also left a phenomenal performance of two hits (two home runs) and five RBIs in five at-bats against Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (under the Miami Marlins).

In particular, with Witcom's joining, "Korea Connection" in Houston is also a hot topic. Pitchers Ryan Weiss (30) and Witcom, who succeeded in returning to the big league after playing in the KBO League Hanwha Eagles last season, will share the same rice. Although the positions are different, two players familiar to Korean baseball fans are expected to take charge of the Major League mound and defense side by side.

On the other hand, players on the condolence list may be away from the office for a minimum of three days to a maximum of seven days according to regulations. Witcom is expected to be given a chance to play mainly as a backup while Paredes is away.

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*This content was translated by AI.