Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Don Mattingly Talks Yasiel Puig And Cut Offs

To say things got off on the right foot last night would be the understatement of the season. Missed fly balls, errant throws from the outfield and a Cy Young award winner on the mound in the form of David Price didn’t help the Dodgers cause.

With Don Mattingly sitting Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford against the lefty Price, Yasiel Puig started in center. While he’s been significantly better on the base paths and at the plate, Puig is still learning to play the outfield.



Miscommunication between Puig and Jerry Hairston led to a double and errant cut off throws from Puig allowed several runners to get into scoring position. Mattingly addressed the throws and the conversation he had with Puig last night in the dugout:

I told him to keep the ball down so that nobody can advance. I know he’s not trying to do it, it’s just something to continue to talk and work on.

Puig is in the midst of another impressive streak at the plate as he has an eight-game hitting streak and is hitting .483 in August.

While he’s improved his plate discipline, it’s evident that there are still growing pains in the field, but as long as everyone is aware of it, they should be corrected.

For one thing, Puig has shown the ability to adjust after making mistakes and once he reigns in the high throws, he’ll become that much more dangerous to run against.

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In case you missed it, be sure to find out the latest on Matt Kemp’s ankle injury.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg0AP5LACzc

Ross Gasmer

Ross Gasmer is a Social Media Producer for @TheHerd and was a contributing writer and editor for Dodger Nation. Follow him on Twitter @Ross_Gasmer12

One Comment

  1. It’s gonna be crowded in the outfield when Kemp returns, but it’s a good problem to have!!

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