Yasiel Puig‘s shooting star may be crashing back down to earth.
The young Dodgers star who dazzled in June and July has hit a skid — he’s gone just 2-for-17 at the plate in his last four games and was absent from the Dodgers’ roster for their game against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. To add insult to injury, Puig was slapped with a fine by manager Don Mattingly for showing up late to the ballpark before the game.
Puig’s reason for his tardiness? He got stuck in Miami traffic on the way to Marlins Park, according to Orange County Register reporter Bill Plunkett. Puig was apparently staying at his family’s home in Miami as opposed to at the team hotel, and he got caught in traffic — making it with 35 minutes to spare before the team’s warm-up.
Mattingly didn’t disclose how much he had fined Puig, but he said that it was “more than a dollar; less than $10,000,” according to Plunkett. The skipper also clarified that Puig was out of the starting lineup Tuesday because he’d been struggling at the plate, not because he got to the park late.
