Rule 5 Draft pick Wang bides time in bullpen

BOSTON -- When rookie left-hander Wei-Chung Wang makes his Brewers debut, he will become the first Taiwan-born player in franchise history. That milestone moment is taking longer than manager Ron Roenicke would like.

Roenicke expressed further regret Sunday morning that he had yet to find an opportunity to get Wang into a game. Four of the Brewers' first five games were decided by three runs or fewer, and the other was a tie game entering the ninth inning of Boston's home opener.

Since Wang was in rookie ball last season before the Brewers plucked him from Pittsburgh in the Rule 5 Draft, Roenicke is trying to pick a spot. Only one other 21-year-old has pitched in the Majors this season: Miami's Jose Fernandez.

"I want Wang to pitch in a ballgame, I just can't find a place to put him in here that is fair to him," Roenicke said. "He may end up having to pitch in a game where it's tied and we're in the ninth inning. I don't know. But I don't want to do that."

Wang won his spot on the Opening Day roster by throwing strikes in Spring Training, so poise is not the concern, Roenicke said. Still, he prefers that Wang's Major League debut come in a low-leverage situation.

Wang was remaining patient.

"It's hard, but the only thing I can do is wait," Wang said through translator Jay Hsu. "This is a good time to see what other pitchers do, and learn. Maybe in the future I will use it."