Written by Bob Nightengale at USAToday.com
The Dodgers insist that outfielder Yasiel Puig has been on his best behavior at Class AAA Oklahoma City hours after he was claimed on revocable waivers Tuesday by an unidentified team, but would not commit to recalling him to the big leagues in September.
The Dodgers have 72 hours to work out a deal with the team that claimed Puig, pull him back off waivers, or let him go the team with no compensation.
“The conversations we had with him at the beginning of August really resonated with him,’’ said Andrew Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations. “I think there’s been a very conscious effort to listen to what was said, and apply it to his daily work. The reports from (Oklahoma City manager Bill) Haselman have been really good.
“I was there a couple weeks ago, and it’s obviously a short blip of time, but he’s done everything we’ve asked in this process.”
Yet, when asked whether he would be among the players called up when rosters expand in September, Friedman said that no decision has been made.
Puig, 25, has badly struggled all season with the Dodgers, hitting just .260 with a .320 on-base percentage and .386 slugging percentage. He lost his starting job, and the Dodgers demoted him to Oklahoma City on Aug. 2.
“(Playing in the minors) is something that has taught me humility, and I am very grateful,” Puig told ESPN’s Marly Rivera. “I do not know what the future will hold in the next few hours. I don’t know where I will go. I don’t know my fate. God only knows my destiny, and I am here to fulfill it. He gave me many opportunities, the way [the Dodgers] did, and I put myself in this situation.”
Puig apologized for his behavior to manager Dave Roberts, confirming that he showed up late for meetings and batting practice.
“I keep hitting,’’ said Puig, who’s batting .369 with four homers and 12 RBI since his demotion. “I’m behaving. I’m doing the work I have to do. What I did wrong before and I have been doing better the last two or three weeks that I’ve been here.’’
The Dodgers are expected to trade Puig this winter, but Friedman said it’s unlikely a trade can be worked out with the club that claimed him.
“Virtually all players in August go through waivers,” Friedman said. “It’s a confidential process, and if and when a trade is announced, that’s when the news becomes public. Otherwise, it’s a formality, all players go through it and it rarely results in a trade.”
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