Yasiel Puig is back in Dodger blue on the big league roster and admitted he deserved his initial demotion.
Throughout his time with the Los Angeles franchise, Puig has been a polarizing figure. While his tendencies are tolerable when he's doing well, his reported bad attitude mixed led to the Dodgers demoting him following the trade deadline in August.
Following the Aug. 1 deadline, Puig was placed on waivers by the Dodgers, but they were unable to make a deal with the mystery claiming team as th edeadline past. Now, he's back on the Dodgers' big league roster and in the lineup Friday night as the team takes on the Padres at Dodger Stadium.
Prior to returning to the team, Puig opened up about the demotion and said he wasn't embarrassed by it, and also said he earned it.
"It wasn't embarrassing," Puig said, accoding to Bill Shaikan of the Los Angeles Times. "I earned the demotion."
Prior to being sent down, Puig, was slashing .260/.320/.386 with seven homers, 34 RBIs and 59 strikeouts while his attitude reportedly didn't sit well with his teammates or manager Dave Roberts. Puig, 25, actually hit .283 in July prior to his demotion, but his antics led to the Dodgers sending him down to the minors.
Puig, an All-Star in 2014, slashed 348/.400/.594 in the minor leagues.
The outfielder has said all the right things since being sent down, but it remains to be seen if he'll be contrite this time around.
"[Playing in the minors] is something that has taught me humility, and I am very grateful," Puig told ESPN. "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."
The Dodgers enter Friday in first place in the NL West with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants.
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