The Dodgers have placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain, per a team announcement (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, on Twitter). Scott Van Slyke has returned from his own DL stint to join the club in Puig’s stead.
It has been a trying year for the 25-year-old. Hopes were that he’d return to the stellar play he showed over 2013-14, but Puig has fallen shy even of the reduced version of himself that was on display last season.
Over his first 198 plate appearances, he’s compiled a meager .237/.283/.360 batting line with a handful of home runs and four steals. On the positive side, defensive metrics have been quite high on his work in right field, representing a turnaround in that regard.
It doesn’t appear that the injury is a serious one, as the club waited until the last minute to decide on the DL placement. But this is hardly the first time that Puig has been felled by this particular injury, increasing the level of concern. If there’s a silver lining, it could be that Puig may end up with a chance at a rehab stint to sort out some of his issues at the plate.
Los Angeles does not figure to go looking outside the organization for help — unless, perhaps, it turns into a much longer absence than is expected. The team already cut loose Alex Guerrero recently because of its stock of outfielders, and the return of Van Slyke further bolsters a deep unit.
He’s a big ball of crap and I’m glad he’s not on my team.
I read Atlanta might get him for a starter because of Alex wood injury
Good change of scenery candidate. Puig for pitching? I only wish Cashner was enough, but I know he’s not…
They would Prolly take jon jay, Rodney and a decent prospect.
for Puig? I doubt that, And besides, the Padres don’t really have “decent” prospects. A few good ones and a bunch of mediocre ones. They aren’t getting Puig for Jay and Rodney.
Everything about puig is trending in the wrong direction. He only has 2 yrs left after this and isn’t good for the clubhouse by most accounts. Bb are down, power is down, ks are up, most soft contact of his career. I think jay, Rodney ad guerra is a fine package for him. Dodgers have bullpen needs, jay allows Pederson to slide to right. Guerra eventually will be a nice utility guy. Puig has huge upside but the other pieces offer stability.
Good candidate for a change of hamstrings. Maybe another team can come up with that for him.
If a trade may happen I maybe James shields and Jon jay for puig and a pitching prospect
No no no definitely not
Other than Abreau, who’s struggling this year also, are there any other Cuban ball players living up to the hype?
Aledmys diaz, rasiel iglesias, cespedes. Yadier Alvarez is hitting 100 in Dodgers extended spring training.
Cespedes definitely is!
Are Cuban players getting rushed to the majors because of the large contracts and thus crippling their development?
Puig was dropped into the Dodgers roster three years ago because injuries had reduced their RF options down to pretty much the one. He made a huge and immediate difference to the team even with his inexperience and lack of discipline. The discipline has actually improved a great deal since then, but at the same time he’s faced recurring injuries. That is what keeps setting him back IMO. Puig will probably always be a player with enormous athletic ability and a tendency to become distracted but none of that will matter if he keeps getting hurt.