TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Major League Baseball teams, the Detroit Tigers and Athletics, have added Taiwanese players Lee Hao-yu (李灝宇) and Zhuang Chen-zhong-ao (莊陳仲敖) to their 40-man rosters on Wednesday (Nov. 19). This move aims to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, ensuring that they remain with their respective teams.
The Tigers made roster adjustments by clearing space for Lee and four other minor league players. The team placed several players on the designated-for-assignment list, reflecting their strategy to safeguard valued farm system prospects. Lee's performance in Triple-A this season included a .243 batting average, 14 home runs, and 22 stolen bases over 126 games, positioning him as a potential major league player next year.
Meanwhile, the Athletics announced Zhuang's addition to their 40-man roster, emphasizing his importance to the team. Zhuang achieved a career-high in innings pitched this season, recording 145.2 innings with 145 strikeouts over 28 games, 26 of which he started. His performance highlights his potential, ranking him 29th among promising prospects and making him the fourth Taiwanese player on a major league 40-man roster.
The inclusion of Lee and Zhuang marks a significant milestone for Taiwanese players in MLB, joining San Francisco Giants' Teng Kai-wei (鄧愷威) and Pittsburgh Pirates' Cheng Tsung-che (鄭宗哲) as the only Taiwanese players on 40-man rosters.
