Police investigating sexual assault claim against Pirates' Kang

Chicago police are investigating a claim that Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang sexually assaulted a woman in his hotel room during a road trip, according to Stacy St. Clair and David Heinzmann of the Chicago Tribune.

A spokesman for the police department confirmed the investigation to the Tribune, as did Pirates president Frank Coonelly in a statement released Tuesday:

"We have been made aware of the allegation that has been made against Jung Ho Kang. We take allegations of this type extremely seriously. Pursuant to the Joint MLB/MLBPA Policy on such matters, this matter is exclusively before the Commissioner's Office at this time. We have and will continue to cooperate fully with the Commissioner's Office. As a result of the ongoing police investigation, we cannot comment further at this time. We have also advised our staff and our players that they should not comment on the matter either. We all need to be respectful to the police investigation of a very serious allegation."

Major League Baseball also released a statement acknowledging the investigation, saying they "will monitor the progress of this investigation closely and will respond fully as additional facts emerge."

Kang, who hasn't been charged with any crime, allegedly met a 23-year-old woman on a social networking site during a Pirates road trip to Chicago on June 17 and invited her to his hotel room, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Tribune. The woman claims she blacked out after the infielder served her an alcoholic drink and was sexually assaulted.

Guglielmi said the woman, whose name isn't being released, filed a complaint to police 10 days after the incident was alleged to have occurred.

Kang, 29, signed a four-year, $11-million contract with the Pirates in the 2014 offseason and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2015. The South Korean is hitting .250/.326/.520 over 48 games this season.