Taipei, March 25 (CNA) Ten days before the opening game of U.S. Major League Baseball's 2010-11 season, Taiwanese fans have received a mixed bag of good and bad news about the four local players in the league.
For pitchers Wang Chien-ming, Kuo Hong-chih, Ni Fu-te and infielder Hu Chin-lung -- as well as anxious fans -- the new season, which will open April 5 local time, presents several uncertainties.
Wang, twice a 19-game winner while with the New York Yankees, is still rehabbing from his shoulder injury in the Washington Nationals training camp and is not expected to pitch in the big league until May.
The "Pride of Taiwan" missed his scheduled bullpen session Wednesday due to right shoulder soreness after throwing 45 pitches in a Monday session. However, Nationals pitching coach Steve McCatty said it was not a big concern.
"It was not important that he completed his throwing [today], " McCatty said. "He will go out in a couple of days and do it again." It's also not known when Wang will play in a simulated game or Minor League game, but when he does come back, he is expected to fill in as the Nationals' fifth starter.
Meanwhile, Ni Fu-te, who is in his second season with the Detroit Tigers as a reliever, may move up the roster after top reliever Bobby Seay, who's also left-handed, went down with an injury. With Seay out for Opening Day and possibly longer, Ni could end up with a bigger role in the new season.
Ni got a surprise start and notched up a win in a 3-0 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies Saturday. He appeared in six games in spring training and had a 5.19 earned run average.
Primarily a one-inning pitcher last season, Ni is trying to keep things in perspective. According to an MLB.com report, he said through a translator that he hopes to make the 25-man roster at the end of spring and will do his best to compete for a spot.
The outlook isn't as fair for Los Angeles Dodgers lefty reliever Kuo and utility man Hu, both of whom turned their focus back to the new season after returning to Taiwan for an exhibition series earlier this month.
Kuo has been having trouble with a sore elbow that forced him to be scratched from his scheduled start against a Taiwanese All-Star team in the exhibition series. MLB.com reported that Kuo has pitched in only two games this spring -- 10 days apart -- and that he retired all six batters but suffered soreness both times.
Kuo's elbow has been operated on four times during his MLB career, all with the Dodgers.
The forecast on Hu's future has been mixed. While the Dodgers are reportedly satisfied with his play and think the 26-year-old "can handle shortstop for an extended time if needed, " there have been media reports suggesting that the team is seeking a deal to trade Hu and starting pitcher Eric Stults.
Hu, who was the first MLB infielder from Taiwan but has been played sparingly in the big leagues, told the media in Taiwan that he was not against a trade that could allow him more time outside the dugout.
While Hu is always reliable as a second baseman or a shortstop, it's believed that he must improve his batting performance to secure a regular spot. As of Thursday, Hu has only a .200 batting average in 11 games in spring training. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc