Yasiel Puig out of Dodgers’ game 4 lineup
First we get the news that the Dodgers are, despite his eight-run seventh ininng in game one of the 2014 NLDS, going to start their ace Clayton Kershaw on short rest for game four. Now come the news that star center fielder Yasiel Puig is not in the lineup for game four.
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Talk about shaking up your lineup. Bringing back your ace on short rest and after, what could be considered, the worst outing of his career is one thing but benching Yasiel Puig is quite another.
Yes, Puig has been struggling. There is no debate there, but it is somewhat surprising that manager Don Mattingly would suddenly make this decision.
Puig is 3-12 in the postseason thus far with eight strikeouts. Until hitting a triple and scoring the team’s only run in Monday’s game Puig had struck out seven straight times.
Oct 6, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) reacts after striking out during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game three of the 2014 NLDS baseball playoff game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Former Major League pitcher Mark Mulder, now an analyst for ESPN, said he believed that benching Puig was not injury related “simply because of the way he played the outfield. He was running fine and moving fine.”
He went onto say that he thinks that Yasiel Puig simply “needs a break and unfortunately it happens to be in an elimination game.”
Puig has been benched before due to some immature actions such as showing up at the ballpark late, but that was earlier in the season and he seems to have worked on those issues with Mattingly. It is doubtful that his absence in the lineup has anything to with behavioral issues.
It simply must be that he needs a break. Carl Crawford has been moved into Puig’s second spot in the Dodgers’ lineup. Andre Ethier will be batting sixth and taking Puig’s spot in center field.
Ethier did have a home run, off of St. Louis Cardinals game four starter Shelby Miller, during the regular season.