Yasiel Puig’s second mental lapse in three games cost him on Tuesday night as Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts benched his enigmatic outfielder after the sixth inning.
Puig failed to run out of the batter’s box on a deep fly ball to right field that wound up hitting off the fence. Puig said after the game he believed he’d hit a home run. Instead, he had a 300-plus foot RBI single.
Puig wasn’t in the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds, which led to speculation he was still answering for his actions. However, that wasn’t the case.
“The decision was made [Tuesday] prior to the game,” Roberts said. “As I let all players know when they’re going to play or if they’re not going to play, I told Howie (Kendrick) he was going to be in there with Trayce (Thompson) and Joc (Pederson). [Wednesday] is not cumulative at all. It was already set.”
Once Puig returned to the dugout in the sixth inning, after scoring from second base on a grounder that remained in the infield no less, he sat next to Roberts for a lengthy discussion. The first-year manager appeared visibly upset over what transpired, but shot down any notion he was angry over the matter the following afternoon.
“After the game we talked and had an extended conversation on my thoughts and his thoughts,” Roberts said. “He received everything well, so it’s about moving forward.” During his introductory press conference Roberts said he’d form his own opinion of Puig, independent of the reputation that precedes him.
It’s a message Roberts has continued to deliver, and did so again on Wednesday. “I don’t care about what he’s done in the past. What I’ve seen, he’s been tremendous,” he said. Roberts previously called managing Puig a “joy” in mid-April.
The skipper’s latest remarks on his 25-year-old outfielder included a second reference this month of the strong defense Puig is playing, which in Roberts’ estimation, is worthy of hardware. “In the outfield he’s been nothing but great. He’s backing up bases and playing Gold-Glove defense,” he said. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the way he’s defending.”
Puig entered Wednesday’s game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement. He struck out swinging in his lone at-bat. It was a rare occurrence where Puig wasn’t one of the evening’s talking points; perhaps a sign the topic was exhausted some five hours earlier.
Since debuting in the Majors in 2013, Puig’s failures and success have garnered plenty of attention, which isn’t lost on his manager. “Things he does, whether they’re good or bad, they are magnified,” Roberts said.
While some have grown frustrated with Puig, Roberts remains focused on the development of their relationship. “For me to see him on the day-to-day is good,” he said. “We’re still learning one another. I do believe the buy-in and care for his teammates is getting better each day.”
