Editorials

Yasiel Puig Running At 100%; Mattingly Calls Recovery ‘Miraculous’

Charles LeClaire-USA Today Sports
Charles LeClaire-USA Today Sports

It’s been a tough season for the Los Angeles Dodgers in terms of injuries; however, they were able to use depth and strong play to win their third straight NL West title.

The Dodgers lost two of their five original starting pitchers for the season, not to mention significant time missed by Kenley Jansen, Carl Crawford, Howie Kendrick, Kiké Hernandez, Jose Peraza and Yasiel Puig. Minor or lingering issues are currently bothering Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez.



While the Dodgers are as healthy as they’ve been all season to a certain extent, Peraza and Puig were not expected to be ready for the the NLDS. Peraza wasn’t a given to make the postseason roster, but his speed and versatility would have given him a chance to make it. Puig, the Dodgers everyday right fielder before going down, was shooting for a return in the NLCS should the team advance.

However, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, Puig is now seemingly ahead of that schedule:

The latest update had Puig anywhere between 65-80 percent, making his new status out of the ordinary. The 24-year-old outfielder is in Camelback Ranch and hit in a simulated game on Wednesday.

The plan for Thursday is for Puig to get some work in the outfield:

Puig will have to show that he can recover from his new status, but it now appears that he could have a chance to be ready for the NLDS. Manager Don Mattingly had some strong words for his young outfielder’s recovery:

There’s still a lot that has to happen for Puig to get back onto a field and on a 25-man postseason roster, but it now appears that there is a chance.

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Vincent Samperio

Vince is currently the Associate Editor and Social Media Manager for Dodgers Nation. Hailing from San Pedro, CA and a student at Cal State Long Beach, Vince has previously written for the Daily 49er and LASF Magazine.

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