When the Los Angeles Dodgers began their 2018 Cactus League schedule on Friday, manager Dave Roberts intended to do so with Yasiel Puig starting in right field. However, it instead was Trayce Thompson, as Puig was scratched from the lineup due to hip soreness.
Roberts downplayed any concern over the latest minor injury to hit camp, explaining it was a result of Puig simply breaking in a new pair of cleats. Both Roberts and Puig anticipated the 27-year-old would be in the lineup Saturday.
That held true, as Puig was penciled to start in right field and bat cleanup in a split-squad game at Camelback Ranch against the San Francisco Giants.
While the minor injury made it feasible to make a quick return, Puig was additionally motivated in that he would be facing the Giants, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I want to play against the Giants as many times as I can,” Puig said. “I’ll be fine. It was just tight in the weight room.”
In 67 games (61 starts) over four seasons, Puig is a career .280/.340/.447 batter against the Giants, with 12 doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 29 RBI. It’s his most triples against any opponent, and third-most doubles, home runs and RBI.
Beyond the Giants being a longtime rival of the Dodgers, Puig’s sentiment could be related to the dust-ups he’s had with Madison Bumgarner. The two have memorably exchanged words on multiple occasions, with one instance leading to Puig sending the Giants ace a ‘#DONTLOOKATME’ t-shirt.
After just two meetings in Cactus League play, the Dodgers face the Giants on Opening Day for the start of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium from March 29-April 1. They square off again on April 6 in the first of a three-game set at AT&T Park, and meet 19 times overall this season.
Los Angeles went 11-8 last season against San Francisco, good for their second-best record against a National League West opponent.
