Korean pitcher set to sign with Cardinals

Oh Seung-hwan / Korea Times file

Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan appears near to signing a contract with Major League Baseball club St. Louis Cardinals.

Oh is expected to have his physical examination in the U.S. on Monday, the team’s homepage says.

Oh, 33, has pitched 1.81 ERA and 5.18 K/BB ratio during his time at Samsung Lions in the Korean Baseball organization (KBO) from 2005 through 2013. He also played for the Hanshin Tigers (2014-2015) in the Japanese Central League.

Oh was part of the Korean national team that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Last year, he was involved in gambling overseas, which is illegal for South Koreans. He was fined 7 million won ($5,800) and has to miss the first 72 games in Korea.

The gambling issue does not break any MLB rules, according to the Cardinals’ online fan community “Viva El Birdos.”