SEOUL– The Lotte Giants announced Wednesday they’ve signed new outfielder Zach Reks.
Reks is replacing DJ Peters, who was waived by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club Monday. He will make US$310,000 for the rest of this season.
Reks, 28, played in 16 games for the Texas Rangers, after making his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year.
Reks, who bats left and throws right, batted .265 with three RBIs for the Rangers. In Triple-A this year, he put up a robust .331/.421/.579 line with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 34 games.
The Giants are trying to make a second half push for the postseason. They entered the All-Star break last week on a four-game winning streak, and they now sit in sixth place at 38-44-3 (wins-losses-ties), four games behind the Kia Tigers for the fifth and final playoff spot. The Giants’ last postseason appearance came in 2017.
The season will resume Friday.
The Giants signed Peters in December, hoping the former major leaguer could provide pop in the middle of the lineup and steady defense in center field. He batted .228/.299/.402 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs in 85 games, offering some power but little else. Defensively, Peters was rated as one of the worst center fielders by several metrics, according to statistics website Statiz.
Reks has mostly handled corner outfield positions as a pro, with some cameos in center field and at first base and second base.
Source: Yonhap News Agency