Rays' Choi Ji-man hits 1st homer since April

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman Choi Ji-man has gone deep for the first time in more than a month.

Choi blasted a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Tuesday (local time), helping the Rays to a 4-0 victory.

In this Associated Press photo, Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays (R) celebrates his two-run home run against the Miami Marlins during the bottom of the sixth inning of a Major League Baseball regular season game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on May 24, 2022. (Yonhap)

Choi's homer, off Miami starter Pablo Lopez, was his first long ball since April 13 against the Oakland Athletics, and his third of this season.

Choi missed time at the end of April and the beginning of May with right elbow issues. Since returning to action on May 8, Choi had batted only 7-for-39 prior to Tuesday.

The South Korean player, who doubled in the bottom of the eighth, went 2-for-4 to raise his line to .282/.380/.471 for the season. It was Choi's second-straight multihit game.