Major League Baseball

MLB Quick Hits: Dodgers' Puig is back in action

Published Jun. 7, 2015 1:47 p.m. ET

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After missing 38 games due to a hamstring issue, Yasiel Puig returned to action for the Dodgers on Saturday night. It didn't take long for him to show his old form, either.

Puig made his impact felt right away, as he knocked in an RBI double to break up a scoreless tie in the seventh inning to help Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers get the win over the Cardinals.

Even without Puig for most of the season, the Dodgers are still first in OPS among all teams, thanks in large part to the play of Joc Pederson. With Puig, Pederson and Adrian Gonzalez all healthy and mashing, you should sit anyone except a true ace if they have a matchup with the Dodgers anytime soon.

In other news...

Marlins ace Jose Fernandez made his first return to live action since May 9th of 2014, but the results weren't great. Fernandez allowed five runs on eight hits against a Single-A team. Patience should be preached here, though, as Fernandez met his pitch count goal and didn't suffer any sort of setback. He's owned in 84.3 percent of FOX Sports leagues, and should be owned in all.

On the other end of the rehab start spectrum was Justin Verlander, who might be getting close to his return. Verlander topped out at 94 MPH on his fastball, but he had everything else working as he struck out nine over 5 2/3 innings. Verlander may still be a week or so away, but it's definitely time to roster him if he was dropped in your league.

Chi Chi did it again! After a marvelous MLB debut, Rangers rookie Chi Chi Gonzalez threw a three-hit shutout against the Royals, who sport one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. 14 2/3 innings into his career, Gonzalez has yet to let up a run. He's owned in just 10.5 percent of FOX Sports leagues if you're thinking this is even partially sustainable.  

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco is still unable to maintain a crouch position, so the Reds are getting creative. Mesoraco hasn't played in the outfield since high school, but he could be returning to the Reds as a left-fielder. They'll try it out in the minors first, so keep an eye on how he does there. Mesoraco batted .273 with 25 homers last year, so if he maintains catcher eligibility, he'll be worth a long look. 

Jake Odorizzi was pulled midway through his start on Friday, and it sounds as though he's likely to hit the disabled list with an oblique strain. That's a tough break for one of the biggest fantasy surprises this season.

The Mets might be ready to ditch the six-man rotation. That's good news for fantasy owners everywhere, even if it comes with an increase of injury risk or a few "dead arm" starts along the way. You'll trust guys like Matt Harvey with more opportunities, obviously.

That's it for today. Check in Monday for more Quick Hits with John Halpin. 

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