Is Yasiel Puig Still Playing Baseball?

Yasiel Puig has not played in a MLB game since September 28th, 2019.
Is he still playing baseball?

Yasiel Puig’s History

Cuban-born Yasiel Puig defected from his home country in 2012, and signed a 7-year, $42 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2013, he made his Major League debut, and became an overnight sensation. After a string of impressive performances, Puig was named the National League Rookie of the Month for June 2013. He continued to excel throughout the season, and helped the Dodgers win the National League West division title.

Puig’s early life and escape from Cuba

Yasiel Puig Herrera was born on December 7, 1990, in Cienfuegos, Cuba. His father, Omar, was a steelworker, and his mother, Maritza, was a schoolteacher. Growing up, Yasiel played baseball and dreamed of one day making it to the major leagues. In 2012, he made the Cuban national team and played in the World Baseball Classic.

However, Yasiel’s career in Cuba came to an abrupt end in June 2012 when he attempted to defect from the country. He was caught and spent seven months in prison before finally escaping to Mexico in April 2013. After being arrested and detained by Mexican authorities, Puig was turned over to U.S. immigration officials and spent two days in jail before being released on bond.

Puig made his long-awaited major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 3, 2013. He immediately became one of the most talked-about players in baseball, hitting .319 with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs in just 104 games.

Puig’s time in the MLB

Yasiel Puig made his Major League debut on June 3, 2013, against the San Francisco Giants. In his first at-bat, he singled off Tim Lincecum. The following day, he hit his first home run off Madison Bumgarner. In his first week, he became the first player in MLB history to hit three triples and four home runs in his first six games. He was also named the National League Player of the Week. Puig quickly became a fan favorite in Los Angeles, as Dodgers fans started bringing oversized head cutouts of him to Dodger Stadium and referring to him as “Wild Horse.”

Puig struggled at times during his rookie season, but ended up batting .319 with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs in 104 games. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting to Jose Fernandez.

Puig had a breakout season in 2014, batting .296 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs in 152 games. He was named to his first All-Star team and won a Silver Slugger Award. Puig’s play helped lead the Dodgers to their first National League West title since 2009.

The Dodgers made it to the NL Championship Series in 2013 and 2014, but lost both times to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.

In 2015, Puig batted .255 with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs in 153 games. He struggled defensively in right field, committing nine errors. The Dodgers once again made it to the NLCS, but this time they lost to the eventual World Series champion New York Mets.

Puig had a disappointing 2016 season, batting just .263 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs in 131 games. The Dodgers traded Puig to the Houston Astros midway through the 2017 season. He finished the year batting .263 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs between the two teams.

The Astros released Puig prior to the 2018 season, and he signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. He was called up to the majors on April 2, 2018, and hit a grand slam in his first game with his new team.

Why Puig Left the MLB

Yasiel Puig defected from Cuba in 2012, signing a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made his MLB debut in 2013 and was an immediate success, hitting .319 with 19 home runs and 11 stolen bases. However, Puig’s career has been plagued by inconsistency and off-field issues, and he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. Despite his talent, Puig has not been able to stay on the field or out of trouble, and his future in baseball is uncertain.

Puig’s declining performance

Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has not played in the major leagues since 2019, and his career appears to be over. Puig was once one of the most promising young players in baseball, but his performance declined sharply in recent years. It’s not clear exactly why this happened, but it’s likely that a combination of factors played a role.

Puig came up through the Cuban league, which is notoriously difficult to defect from. It’s possible that the stress of this experience took a toll on his body and mind, and that it contributed to his decline. In addition, Puig was never a particularly disciplined player, and as he got older, his lack of discipline became more and more of a problem. He was frequently late for team meetings and workouts, and he didn’t always follow the team’s training regimen. These things may have contributed to his decline as well.

It’s also worth noting that Puig’s decline coincided with some changes in the way major league baseball is played. In recent years, there has been a trend toward favoring players who are extremely disciplined and who follow strict training regimens. This change in emphasis may have made it difficult for Puig to find a place on a major league roster.

Whatever the reasons for his decline, it’s clear that Yasiel Puig is no longer an MLB-caliber player. It’s possible that he’ll try to make a comeback at some point, but it seems unlikely that he’ll ever regain the form that made him one of baseball’s most exciting players just a few short years ago.

Puig’s off-field antics

Puig’s off-field antics were well-documented during his time with the Dodgers. He was regularly late to team meetings and workouts, and he was benched on multiple occasions for not hustling on the field. In 2013, he was arrested for driving under the influence, and in 2018, he was involved in a fight at a bar in Los Angeles.

Puig’s antics caught up to him in 2019, when the Dodgers traded him to the Cincinnati Reds. Puig didn’t seem to have learned his lesson in Cincinnati, as he was suspended for three games in 2019 for throwing a tantrum in the dugout and later benched for not hustling on the field.

After the 2019 season, Puig became a free agent and wasn’t able to find a team willing to take a chance on him. He eventually signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves in February 2020, but he was released before even playing a game for them.

As of right now, it doesn’t seem like Yasiel Puig is going to be playing professional baseball anytime soon.

Where is Puig Now?

Yasiel Puig was once a star baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was known for his incredible catches and his bat flips. Unfortunately, Puig’s career has been on a downward spiral in recent years. He was released by the Dodgers in 2019 and has not been picked up by another team since. So, what is Yasiel Puig doing now?

Puig’s time in the Mexican League

In 2019, Puig signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians, but was traded to the Cincinnati Reds mid-season. He became a free agent again at the end of the 2019 season. In February 2020, Puig signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves, but was released in March before the start of the 2020 season

Puig’s return to the MLB?

Yasiel Puig has not played in the MLB since 2019, but he is currently signed with the Atlanta Braves. It is unknown if or when he will return to the MLB.