Yasiel Puig returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Sunday, starting for the first time in 11 days. He entered in the sixth inning on July 21 and was removed after attempting to leg out an infield single to lead off the seventh.
Puig was diagnosed with right hamstring tightness that limited him to two pinch-hit appearances, coming July 22 and 29. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated throughout Puig’s absence that the 25-year-old was showing enough improvement to avoid the disabled list.
Roberts then said Friday he intended to start Puig in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. There was some doubt, however, as the enigmatic outfielder has been the subject of recent trade rumors.
The Dodgers reportedly attempted to trade Puig to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Jay Bruce. While those talks didn’t gain much traction, the Dodgers continue to explore trades to move Puig, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:
word is, dodgers are still trying to move yasiel puig. fielding well this year, but another dropoff in offensive production
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2016
One club reportedly not interest in Puig is the reigning National League champion New York Mets:
mets need an rhh OF. i asked about interest in yasiel puig. quick answer: "No."
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2016
With trade rumors coming to a head on Friday, Dodgers chairman Mark Walter said he didn’t believe the club was looking to deal Puig, citing his potential. It’s a stance president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi have publicly held since the offseason.
Puig entered play on Sunday batting .254/.315/.375 with eight doubles, seven home runs, 32 RBIs, a .303 wOBA and 90 wRC+ in 80 games. Multiple hamstring injuries limited him to a career-low 79 games last season.
