Asian athletes Ko Woo-seok and Rui Hachimura sign with US teams

South Korean pitcher Ko Woo‑seok, 28, was acquired by the Minnesota Twins from the Detroit Tigers in a cash trade, positioning him for a possible MLB debut and potentially becoming the 30th Korean to play in the major leagues. The Twins, whose bullpen ranks near the bottom in several metrics, view Ko’s strong Triple‑A performance as a boost to their relief corps.

Japanese basketball forward Rui Hachimura, also 28, left the Los Angeles Lakers to join the LA Clippers, agreeing to a two‑year contract worth $28 million. Drafted ninth overall in 2019, Hachimura averaged 17.5 points in the playoffs last season and is expected to add depth to the Clippers' frontcourt.