Because of an All-Star effort on a catch in the outfield, Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig's chances of getting an invitation to the July 17 All-Star game just became murkier.
Puig, who was named National League Player of the Month earlier on Wednesday, had to leave the Dodgers' game against the Colorado Rockies because of a bruised left hip and thigh tightness, MLB.com is reporting.
The report said X-rays of Puig's hip came back negative, and the outfielder, who left Wednesday's game in the bottom of the sixth inning, is listed as day to day.
Puig hurt himself when he made an off-balance catch of a line drive Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado hit in the bottom of the fifth inning. Puig ran back to the wall, and his outstretched leg slammed into the padding on the supporting poles of the outfield fence at Coors Field, according to MLB.com.
Puig threw the ball back to the infield as Rockies baserunner Wilin Rosario advanced from second to third, then fell back to the ground, MLB.com reported. After a Dodgers trainer tended to Puig, he stayed in the game. He came up to bat in the top of the sixth but was removed during the Rockies' half of the sixth in a double switch.
Puig has played in 28 games for the Dodgers and had 48 hits. The Dodgers are pushing for him to play in the All-Star Game. His best chance would seem to be on the fans' final five ballot. The managers for both the American League (Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers) and National League (the San Francisco Giants' Bruce Bochy) both will submit a list of five players not selected to play in the game, and the fans would vote on one player in each league.
If Puig misses any extended length of time, his lack of time in the big leagues (having only played in 28 of the Dodgers' 83 games so far) could become a factor against him. Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon already said Tuesday that the possibility of him getting to play in the All-Star Game would be "an absolute joke."
More baseball analysts might agree if Puig doesn't play much more before the balloting closes.
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