BASEBALL/Taiwanese baseball player Lyle Lin joins Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) Taiwanese baseball catcher Lyle Lin (林家正) has signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, an independent league team in the United States, according to the player's Facebook page on Tuesday (U.S. time).

The announcement came about a week after the 28-year-old was released by the Athletics' Double-A affiliate Midland Rockhounds on July 28.

Lin traveled to the United States on Monday to report to the team and batted second in an away game in North Carolina on Tuesday.

The Blue Crabs are based in Waldorf, Maryland, and will serve as Lin's new home for the remainder of the season.

The team plays in the Atlantic League, which is generally considered to be between Double-A and Triple-A in terms of competitive level.

The league features players with major league or Triple-A experience, as well as promising talent released from affiliated minor league teams.

Lin represented Taiwan in the 2024 WBSC Premier12, and was a key cog in the national team's championship showing, earning him a considerable fan base in Taiwan.

In 32 games with the Rockhounds, however, Lin had no home runs and a .183 batting average in 93 at-bats.