South Korean infielder Jung Ho Kang will rejoin the Pittsburgh Pirates organization for the first time since the start of the 2017 season, the team announced Thursday.
The 31-year-old Kang was placed on the restricted list in March of 2017 due to visa issues that resulted when he was arrested in his native country for DUI.
"After a lengthy process, we are pleased that Jung Ho has been allowed to reenter to the United States," Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a team statement. "We are encouraged by the steps that Jung Ho has taken to date and are hopeful that having the game he loves taken away from him for more than a year has driven home the reality that he must make better life decisions as we move forward together.