Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodgers' Puig has mild hamstring strain, should avoid DL
Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodgers' Puig has mild hamstring strain, should avoid DL

Published Aug. 19, 2015 2:52 p.m. ET

 

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig had an MRI exam on his injured right hamstring Wednesday that showed a mild strain, and the medical staff doesn't expect him to need a stint on the disabled list.

Puig was held out of the lineup for the NL West-leading Dodgers in their Wednesday afternoon interleague finale against the Oakland Athletics and with Thursday's off day will have two full days of rest. The hope is he will test out his leg Friday at Houston and play sometime during the weekend series against the Astros.

Medical services director Stan Conte gave manager Don Mattingly about the best news possible.

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"He had an MRI. It came back really positive," Mattingly said. "Stan's categorizing it as very mild. We feel like it's day to day. ... At this point Stan doesn't feel like it's going to end up being a DL. Obviously we can be a little bit more cautious, too, with Houston and the DH and everything. It's a little easier to go a little bit short if we had to. I don't know if we're going to have to."

Puig said in the clubhouse he is feeling better after leaving Tuesday night's 5-4, 10-inning loss after reaching on an infield single in the eighth.

"I'm off today and tomorrow and if it's not hurting as much I will do some work Friday," Puig said.

Puig was injured again just as he got on a nice roll. He has hit safely in six of his past seven games, batting .333 with two home runs, a triple and six RBI since Aug. 11. He is hitting .250 with 10 homers and 35 RBI in 72 games overall.

He said this injury didn't hurt the same way as his left hamstring injury earlier this season that sidelined him for five weeks.

The Dodgers figure Puig will have to constantly work on his legs throughout his career.

"I think with him, you get guys that are really muscular, big strong guys, once the leg injuries kind of come it seems like they kind of hang around with you," Mattingly said. "It'll be something probably that he's going to have to pay attention probably throughout his career to do extra work and make sure he's loose and make sure he's doing his work properly." 

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