Yasiel Puig’s Attorney Asks Federal Judge To Dismiss Lawsuit

[new_royalslider id=”227″] Yasiel Puig’s first full season with the Los Angeles Dodgers came with more than expectations to improve on the level he performed at since joining the team in June of 2013.

In April, an expose detailing Puig’s escape from Cuba was released and it drew national attention as the media sought first-hand details. Puig declined to comment and manager Don Mattingly expressed his concern for the outfielder, and the storm eventually passed.

It returned in June when a U.S District judge denied to dismiss a $12 million lawsuit filed against Puig that alleges he defamed Miguel Angel Corbado Daudinot to Cuban authorities, which resulted in his imprisonment.

The motion left the lawsuit on track for trial in 2015 and on Friday, Sean Santini, Puig’s attorney, asked a federal judge to dismiss the case, according to Nathan Fenno of the LA Times:

The attorney for Yasiel Puig asked a federal judge Thursday to dismiss a lawsuit that faults the Dodgers outfielder for the alleged imprisonment and torture of a Cuban man.

The request came after Daudinot failed to appear for multiple depositions, which his attorney explained is due to the prison sentence he’s still serving:

You know very well that our client is in Cuba serving out what is left of a prison sentence that your client’s actions forced on him,” Kenia Bravo, one of Daudinot’s attorneys, wrote in an email to Santini last month included with the court filing.

With Puig’s legal troubles ongoing, he’s also facing rumors the Dodgers are shopping him. However unlikely a trade may seem, Puig was reportedly benched in Game 4 of the NLDS for questionable effort and focus seen from him in the series.

Puig went 2-for-4 with three runs scored in Game 1, then just 1-for-8 with seven strikeouts the rest of the way. Puig is under contract through the 2018 season, but will be eligible for arbitration after 2016.