BASEBALL/Baseball star Yu Chang absent from Team Taiwan's Premier12 roster

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) Team Taiwan unveiled its 28-player roster for the World Baseball Softball Confederation's (WBSC) upcoming Premier12 tournament on Monday, with former MLB player Yu Chang (張育成) notably absent due to injury.

At a press conference for the imminent Premier12 Group B games in Taipei -- Taiwan's highest-level international baseball tournament in 2024 -- Tseng Hao-chu (曾豪駒), Team Taiwan's manager, said that Chang's absence will impact the team's offense capabilities.

"We've all seen his performance at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) last year, so his absence will surely affect us in terms of offense," said Tseng, who also served as the batting coach for Taiwan's national team at the 2023 WBC and the 2019 Premier12.

"But I believe the other players we've chosen can step up to this challenge."

Since joining the Fubon Guardians in July, 29-year-old Chang has become one of the most formidable batters in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) during its second half-season.

In just 47 games, Chang tied for sixth in home runs with 10, while hitting dingers at a league-leading rate of 13.7 at-bats per homer. He also earned 40 walks, tying 11th in most walks in the league.

However, Chang, whose first CPBL season ended prematurely, has been unwilling to play for the national team due to a lingering left-hand injury.

According to Tseng, a player's willingness to play, health and stats are the coaching team's primary concerns when selecting players.

The roster consists of 25 CPBL players and three who play in the Minor Leagues in the United States, including left-handed pitcher Lin Yu-min (林昱珉), who was promoted to the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate in late September.

Meanwhile, Tseng announced that Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions outfielder Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲), currently leading the CPBL in batting average, will serve as Team Taiwan's captain. Tseng expects the five-time all-star to lead the team well due to his "hunger for victory."

During the same event, Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), CPBL president, referred to the roster as one that "paves the way for the national team's preparation for the next round of the WBC and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics," suggesting that the current roster may not comprise Taiwan's top talent.

To prepare for the Premier12, Team Taiwan will host two warm-up games against the Czech Republic at the Taipei Dome on Nov. 2-3, before playing South Korea on Nov. 13.

Thereafter, Taiwan will face the Dominican Republic on Nov. 14, Japan on Nov. 16, Australia on Nov. 17, and Cuba on Nov. 18.

Tickets for the games can be purchased on the ticketing platform tixcraft.