Dodgers News: Yasiel Puig Hires Cousin As Drive After Second Arrest

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. The 23-year-old outfielder was arrested for the second time in eight months for a reckless driving charge in Florida.

Puig was traveling 110 mph in a 70 mph zone before being stopped by an officer with his mom and two other people in the car. While he was remorseful during the arrest, the Dodgers are using it as another teaching moment. Speaking yesterday, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly had this to say about his young outfielder on AM 570 Radio:

I don’t want to make light of it, but Yasiel is going to have some expectations that the organization can’t let him do what he wants and let him be a wild card. The Dodgers are really entrenched in the community and we want him to be a good example for the kids.

Before his arrest, Puig was active in the community, hosting several clinics at Dodger Stadium for little leaguers. He’s also been going to Children’s Hospitals with Lakers forward Pau Gasol as he acclimates to living in the United States for a full season.

Meanwhile, Dodgers president Stan Kasten was on ESPNLA 710 this morning, he said Puig is taking the necessary steps to not find himself speeding:

He knows he screwed up. He knows he dodged a bullet and he’s hurt himself. He feels terrible about it and he wants to be publicly out there explaining how bad he feels. All I can say, there’s no excuses or explanations. He has stopped driving by the way. His cousin who’s kinda been helping him, is now his full-time driver.

It sounds like Puig wants to publicly apologize for his actions, something he could do before or during Spring Training. Counted on to be a catalyst in 2014, the Dodgers are continuing to teach him the right way to conduct himself on and off the field.

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