Pirates' Jung Ho Kang to have appeals hearing in May in South Korea

— -- Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang will have an appeals hearing next month regarding his drunken driving conviction, according to a report.

Yonhap News in South Korea reports that Kang's hearing will be held May 25 in Seoul.

Kang received an eight-month suspended prison sentence in March for the December DUI, his third in South Korea. The sentence was suspended for two years but hurt his chances of getting a work visa to play in the majors. He remains in South Korea after being expected as part of the Pirates' Opening Day roster.

The Pirates placed Kang on the restricted list and have sent him a pitching machine to help him stay in baseball shape.

"We're trying to get him a machine with velocity and spin, to help,'' Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Sunday. "He's been more working indoors, doing everything he can to prepare. But in here, we're moving on until he's back.''

Kang, 30, hit 36 home runs in 229 games over his first two major league seasons in Pittsburgh. He signed a four-year, $11 million contract with the Pirates in January 2015 after they agreed to pay about $5 million to South Korea's Nexen Heroes for his rights.