Post by Zig on Apr 3, 2014 7:54:40 GMT -5
Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in his club’s 7-5 win over the Diamondbacks in Australia on Sunday. But — Puig being Puig — he was also thrown out twice on the basepaths and left the game in the ninth with an apparent injury, a habit that seems to be trying manager Don Mattingly’s patience.
From ESPN Los Angeles:
Before Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks, Mattingly playfully compared Puig to the boy who cried wolf, saying he never knows when he is actually hurt because he grabs a different body part every time he strikes out….
“Shoulder yesterday, back today, so I’m not sure if they’re going to get him tests or get him to the MRI Monday or a bone scan on Tuesday, maybe,” Mattingly said sarcastically. “I’m not quite sure what we’ll do. We may not do anything. I’m not sure.”
Puig’s a polarizing figure in baseball, and frustrations with his play and behavior are nothing new — neither inside the Dodgers’ clubhouse nor elsewhere.
But even if Mattingly’s complaints in this case are valid and Puig really does use injuries as an excuse for poor play, the manager inadvertently put Puig and his Dodger teammates in a tricky spot by expressing his impatience: No one wants players concealing injuries, risking greater damage and potentially hurting their club in the process. But there’s a fine line between being transparent with your health and being a whiner.
And obviously Mattingly’s in a jam, too, because he likely wants to show his players how he wants them going about their business, but also to win as many games as possible.
This is a new complaint, maybe, but hardly a new situation for Puig. If Mattingly’s gripe is a legit one, file it away with all the other things the outfielder needs to be working on as he continues his adjustment to Major League Baseball. And as long as he hits like he did last season — the 3-for-5 day is a nice start — he’ll get all the time he needs.
ftw.usatoday.com/2014/03/dodgers-manager-says-yasiel-puig-blames-a-different-injury-every-time-he-strikes-out/
From ESPN Los Angeles:
Before Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks, Mattingly playfully compared Puig to the boy who cried wolf, saying he never knows when he is actually hurt because he grabs a different body part every time he strikes out….
“Shoulder yesterday, back today, so I’m not sure if they’re going to get him tests or get him to the MRI Monday or a bone scan on Tuesday, maybe,” Mattingly said sarcastically. “I’m not quite sure what we’ll do. We may not do anything. I’m not sure.”
Puig’s a polarizing figure in baseball, and frustrations with his play and behavior are nothing new — neither inside the Dodgers’ clubhouse nor elsewhere.
But even if Mattingly’s complaints in this case are valid and Puig really does use injuries as an excuse for poor play, the manager inadvertently put Puig and his Dodger teammates in a tricky spot by expressing his impatience: No one wants players concealing injuries, risking greater damage and potentially hurting their club in the process. But there’s a fine line between being transparent with your health and being a whiner.
And obviously Mattingly’s in a jam, too, because he likely wants to show his players how he wants them going about their business, but also to win as many games as possible.
This is a new complaint, maybe, but hardly a new situation for Puig. If Mattingly’s gripe is a legit one, file it away with all the other things the outfielder needs to be working on as he continues his adjustment to Major League Baseball. And as long as he hits like he did last season — the 3-for-5 day is a nice start — he’ll get all the time he needs.
ftw.usatoday.com/2014/03/dodgers-manager-says-yasiel-puig-blames-a-different-injury-every-time-he-strikes-out/
