Without any options in the major leagues, outfielder Yasiel Puig will try to revive his career in Mexican League with Veracruz, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Puig, 30, burst onto the scene in 2013 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and has been a productive major leaguer but also has been a polarizing figure over a seven-year career.
The Cuba native has 132 home runs and 415 RBIs over 861 games, finishing second in rookie-of-the-year voting in 2013 when he hit 19 home runs in just 104 games. He hit as many as 28 home runs with the Dodgers in 2017.
But he also has been a handful on and off the field and had a contentious relationship at times with Dodgers Cy Young Award-winning teammate Clayton Kershaw. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts once said publicly that he spent more time dealing with issues created by Puig than he spent working with any other player on the team.
Puig last played in the major leagues in 2019, hitting 24 home runs with 84 RBIs with both the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians. He was set to join the Atlanta Braves before the delayed 2020 season but that deal fell through after Puig tested positive for COVID-19. He ended up sitting out the 2020 season.
An All-Star in 2014, Puig is a .277 career hitter with a .348 on-base percentage for the Dodgers, Reds and Indians. He has also played in 58 postseason games, all with the Dodgers, batting .280 with five home runs and 23 RBIs.
(Field Level Media)
