The mercurial and polarizing Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig will be sent to the Dodgers Triple-A minor league affiliate on Tuesday.
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Puig was told by the team Monday to not join the Dodgers on their trip, as he would be either traded or demoted.
Puig followed the Dodgers’ wishes when he didn’t show up to the stadium, manager Dave Roberts told The Associated Press.
The 25-year-old outfielder was not dealt before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, but the Dodgers did acquire outfielder Josh Reddick in a deal with the Oakland Athletics.
“We’ve been consistent with him as far as our desire for him to be a better person and baseball player”, Roberts said Sunday via the Los Angeles Times.
Puig was told to not come to the ballpark Monday afternoon as the Dodgers prepared to fly to Denver for a three-game series that starts Tuesday.
Another possibility holds that the Dodgers can place Puig on waivers and trade him to a claiming team, or to any team if he goes unclaimed.
The Dodgers tried to trade Puig at the deadline but couldn’t find a suitor while a fair deal for a player with his type of talent, so they demoted him. “My understanding is that transaction will happen tomorrow”.
Puig and the Dodgers will hope an extended stay in the Midwest will be the cure for their talented outfielder’s multi-year slump.
Later Monday, Fox Sports and MLB Network analyst Ken Rosenthal issued an apology for a portion of his reporting on Puig’s situation.
Puig was an All-Star in 2014 after a meteoric rise with the Dodgers, who signed the Cuban prospect to a $42 million, seven-year contract in June 2012. 341 (61-for-179) with all 20 of his extra-base hits (11 doubles, one triple, eight homers).
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The demotion will be a surprising turn in the fast-burning career of Puig, who hasn’t built on the promise of his first two big-league seasons. He played in just 79 games last season and has only played in 81 of the team’s 105 games this year. 390 on-base percentage and. 830 since he returned to the team from the disabled list, and yet the Dodgers have apparently made their minds up about him. Puig has hit. 308 with an OPS of.
