The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Yasiel Puig off the 10-day disabled list and optioned Alex Verdugo to Triple-A Oklahoma City ahead of Saturday’s game with the Atlanta Braves. Puig had been sidelined by an oblique strain since July 9.
The expectation was he would miss a few weeks with the grade 1 strain. Puig is fresh off completing a rehab assignment with Oklahoma City, where he went 2-for-9 with two runs scored and an RBI in three games.
On the season, Puig is batting .265/.325/.462 with 17 doubles, 11 home runs and 35 RBI in 76 games. He was coming off an impressive June that had carried into July at the time of suffering the injury.
After batting .367/.517/.884 in June, Puig was hitting .348/.739/1.087 seven games (six starts) into this month. The Dodgers primarily relied on Matt Kemp in right field while Puig was on the disabled list.
Although Verdugo returns to Oklahoma City, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made it clear the decision was based on depth, not production, or a lack thereof. Verdugo went 5-for-16 with four runs scored, one double, one home run, two RBI and three walks in five games (four starts) in his second stint with the club this season.
Roberts praised the young outfielder as proving himself to be a ‘Major League’ player. Verdugo presumably will return once active rosters expand in September, at the latest.
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