"Eat your heart out, Korea!" Taiwanese representative who made a prank call is suddenly called up to MLB → Started as a pitcher but received a harsh baptism with defensive errors and no hits

*This content was translated by AI.

Taiwan national team infielder Li Hao-wei (23, Detroit Tigers), who was engulfed in 'controversy over derogatory remarks against Korea'following a conversation with Korean-American teammate Jamaal Jones (29) during spring training, finally made his MLB debut but endured a harsh baptism.

Li Hao-wei received a sudden call-up to Major League Baseball (MLB) ahead of the Boston Red Sox road game held at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on the 18th (Korean time). He filled the void left by infielder Jack McKinstry, who showed symptoms of inflammation in his left hip and abdomen. Li, who was immediately named in the starting lineup as the eighth hitter and third baseman, took his first step in the big leagues but remained silent with three at-bats and no hits. According to Taiwanese media, Li is the 19th player to make his MLB debut with Taiwanese nationality.

Li's season so far has been marked by continuous ups and downs. He was expected to be a key infielder for the Taiwan national team in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in March, but he was sidelined due to a side injury sustained during a Miyazaki exhibition game. Excluded from the roster at the strong request of his home team, Detroit, he underwent rehabilitation and pre-game preparation in the minor leagues before receiving the big league call on this day.

Although he aimed for a successful debut, the 'controversy over derogatory remarks'that has followed Li remains an unshakable label. Li faced fierce criticism after it was revealed that he had made a remark to his Korean-American teammate Jamaal Jones earlier this season with the meaning of ""Eat your heart out, Korea (FXXX Korea)"".

At the time, Li bowed his head and explained, ""This was a misunderstanding stemming from a joke unique to American culture. I had no intention of disparaging anyone, and I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt.""However, following the controversy, he failed to show any significant performance in the WBC, where he had tried to prove himself with his skills.

After returning to his team and focusing on rehabilitation, Li finally took the field for his first big league stage, but he struggled at the plate. He was out with a fly ball to right field in his first at-bat in the third inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs and no runners on base, he was out with a fly ball to center field. In the final eighth inning, with two outs and no runners on base, he struck out looking against left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez.

His defense was not entirely clean either. In the bottom of the ninth inning with the score tied 0-0 and two outs, he committed a throwing error to first base while fielding a ground ball to third base by Trevor Story. This marked his first error of the season right from his first game.

Despite overcoming injury setbacks and seizing the long-awaited call-up opportunity, Li still faces numerous unsolved challenges. The controversy over derogatory remarks against Korea and his lack of concentration at the big league level have exposed his limitations. It remains to be seen whether Li, who felt the harsh 'wall of Major League Baseball'from his first game, can create an opportunity for a turnaround in the future.

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*This content was translated by AI.