Yasiel Puig, the former Dodgers outfielder, recently found himself in the midst of a brawl in Venezuela, and unfortunately, it didn’t end well for him – he took a hard hit to the face. Puig, currently playing for Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, has always been known for diving headfirst into on-field skirmishes.
Back in 2019, Puig received a three-game suspension for his involvement in a brawl during a Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates game. Despite his fiery on-field demeanour, Puig has been attempting to make a comeback to the big leagues. While there were reports of potential interest from teams earlier in the offseason, no concrete offers have materialized.
Puig’s last MLB stint was in 2019 with Cleveland, where he was traded from the Reds. Despite solid overall numbers, with a .297/.377/.423 slash line and a .800 OPS, his power production waned, hitting only two home runs in 49 games.
Looking at Puig’s performance, one might expect him to be back in the league by now. However, off-the-field issues have been a lingering concern. Puig was linked to an alleged sports gambling operation, leading to a guilty plea for obstruction of justice. He later withdrew the charge, but the incident has kept him away from the big leagues.
Since then, Puig has moved between different international leagues, hoping for another shot. A deal with the Atlanta Braves in 2020 fell through when he tested positive for COVID-19, further complicating his journey back to the MLB.
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