BASEBALL/Taiwan's Cheng Tsung-che makes 2026 MLB season debut

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Boston Red Sox infielder Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲), from Taiwan, made his 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season debut on Friday, collecting his first career hit, RBI and walk in a 6-1 home victory over the New York Yankees.

Cheng, 23, was called up by the Red Sox earlier in the day and went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk.

It marked Cheng's second stint in the majors. He debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in April 2025, but was sent back to the minors after three games, going hitless in seven plate appearances.

Batting with the bases loaded and no outs in the second inning, Cheng grounded into a force out at second base, but drove in Caleb Durbin to collect his first MLB RBI.

His first major league hit came two innings later. After taking the first pitch for a ball from Yankees starter Will Warren, Cheng lined an 86.7 mph changeup to deep center for a double.

According to MLB.com, the drive traveled 407 feet before striking the center-field wall, a distance that would have resulted in a home run in 14 of the league's 30 ballparks.

Cheng also drew a walk in the sixth inning before sending another deep fly ball to the warning track in center field in his final at-bat.

Before his promotion, Cheng had played 64 games for Triple-A Worcester this season, batting .254 after hitting .209 in 107 Triple-A games in 2025. He also showed improved power, hitting seven home runs after going deep only once last season.

A's prospect Lin Wei-en to undergo Tommy John surgery

Meanwhile, Athletics pitching prospect Lin Wei-en (林維恩), also from Taiwan, announced on social media that he will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

"I know that I have given it all along the journey, so I accept what happened today," the 20-year-old left-hander wrote. "It would be lying if I said I were not sad, but that is part of professional sports, and I choose to face it."

"I'll be back," he added.

Tommy John surgery, formally known as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, replaces a torn ligament on the inner side of the elbow with a tendon taken from elsewhere in the body. Recovery typically takes at least one year.

The announcement came after the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, placed Lin on the seven-day injured list on June 14 following a one-inning outing the previous day. During that appearance, Lin repeatedly shook out his pitching arm before being removed after throwing 28 pitches and allowing three runs.