TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The San Francisco Giants (舊金山巨人隊) optioned Taiwanese pitcher Teng Kai-wei (鄧愷威) to the minor leagues Friday (Aug. 22), abruptly ending his promising 20-day major league debut stint. Teng, who made his historic major league debut on Aug. 2, compiled a 1-2 win-loss record with an 8.78 ERA, managing to complete five innings only once during his brief time with the team.
Teng's demotion coincided with broader roster adjustments, including outfielder Grant McCray also being optioned to the minors, while right-handed pitcher Joel Peguero and outfielder Luis Matos received promotions to the major leagues. Left-handed pitcher Erik Miller was simultaneously placed on the 60-day injured list as part of these organizational moves. Throughout his Triple-A appearances this season, Teng demonstrated strong performance across 54 innings in 25 games, including four starts, striking out 86 batters while maintaining a solid 3.67 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
Teng's major league debut on August 2 against the New York Mets proved challenging as he surrendered five runs over 3.1 innings in his first appearance. He dramatically rebounded on August 8, delivering five scoreless innings as a relief pitcher against the Washington Nationals in an impressive performance. The outing secured his first career victory and historically ended a six-year winless streak for Taiwanese pitchers competing in Major League Baseball.
Teng's most recent outing against the San Diego Padres on August 20 began promisingly but deteriorated in the fourth inning when he hit two batters, ultimately conceding three runs with two earned over 3.1 innings. Teng acknowledged afterward that the hit-by-pitches were unfortunate, while Giants manager Bob Melvin praised the pitcher's improvement since his previous appearance and observed that Teng appeared in control throughout most of the game. ◼
