By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Poor pitching at the start of the season deprived South Korean New York Mets pitcher Park Chan-ho of an opportunity to stay in Major League Baseball.
The Mets announced Thursday that they have designated the 33-year-old Korean hurler, who allowed seven runs on six hits over four innings in Monday's game against the Florida Marlins, for assignment.
The Mets can trade him in 10 days and otherwise, waive him for free agent.
If Park, who has the right to turn down the assignment and opt for free agency, accepts the demotion to Triple-A, he can stay with New Orleans.
Park started the season in New Orleans after failing to take a spot in the Mets' starting rotation due to bad performance in five exhibition games in which he had a 2-1 record with a 5.89 ERA.
Designed for assignment four days after his call-up to replace injured ace Orlando Hernandez, the 13-year veteran will not be able to face the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday.
Park had been named a probable starter for Saturday's game at Chase Field in Arizona.
He recorded 3-1 with a 7.29 ERA in four starts with the Zephyrs.
The South Korean signed a one-year contract for $600,000 early this year after his lucrative $65 million free-agent deal for five years with the Texas Rangers.
Meanwhile, the Mets called up reliever Lino Urdaneta for Park's replacement, not Jorge Sosa, who has a 4-0 record with a 1.13 ERA.
The 27-year Venezuelan joined the big leagues in 2004 and has six saves with a 5.84 ERA in 10 games with New Orleans this season.
In his debut, he allowed six earned runs without getting an out. Because of this, his career ERA is infinity, a rare occurrence in Major League Baseball.
Separately, Cleveland Indians outfielder Choo Shin-soo of South Korea was also sent to the minors.
The Indians have activated left-handed Cliff Lee from the 15-day disabled list and summoned right-handed reliever Rafael Perez from Triple-A Buffalo affiliate.
Choo, 24, was called up May 24 and went 5-for-17 with five RBIs in six games with Cleveland, which has the best record of 17-8 in the league as of Friday.
His batting average is .294.
Besides the two major leaguers being sent to the minor leagues, three South Koreans, Seo Jae-weong and Ryu Jae-kuk of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and Kim Byung-hyun of the Colorado Rockies remain in the big leagues.