Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang hasn't been on a major-league field since 2016, and he's preparing himself for a potentially unfriendly response once he does return.
"Whatever the reaction is, even if there are jeers from the crowd, that's something I deserve," Kang said Wednesday via interpreter Mark Kim, according to Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I'll take full responsibility for that reaction."
Kang was arrested for his third DUI in December 2016 and was denied a United States visa the following spring. He wasn't approved to return to the U.S. until this April and has since been rehabbing in Single-A in order to get ready for his eventual return to the Pirates.
The 31-year-old said he no longer touches alcohol and is thankful to have the opportunity to continue his MLB career.
"Because of how humbling (the past year and a half) was and how sorry I felt and continue to feel toward the fans, my family, and friends," Kang said. "I'm always going to do my best to, foremost, become a better person, and then to become the best baseball player I can be."
Kang finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and slashed .255/.354/.513 with 21 home runs in 103 games in 2016.
