South Korean infielder Kang Jung-ho of Major League Baseball’s Pittsburgh Pirates is out for the season following an injury to his left knee and shinbone.
 
The team announced Thursday that Kang underwent surgery at Allegheny General Hospital to repair a tibial plateau fracture.
 
The Pirates said the recovery time is estimated at six to eight months.
 
Reporting on the South Korean rookie's knee surgery, media outlets such as CBS Sports said that it's unclear whether he can even take part in spring training next season. 
 
Playing against the Chicago Cubs earlier in the day, Kang was injured in the first inning when Chris Coghlan slid hard into his left leg while trying to break up a double play at second base.
 
On the season with Pittsburgh, Kang was hitting .287 with 15 home runs.