Somewhere, Yasiel Puig is calling shotgun.
Puig, who recently was arrested on a reckless driving charge, told Los Angeles Dodgers president Stan Kasten on Thursday that he has hired a cousin to drive him around for the time being. Kasten revealed the news during a radio appearance on ESPNLA 710.
“I give him credit for taking that step if nothing else,” Kasten said.
Puig was charged with reckless driving in Florida last month after allegedly driving 110 mph in a 70 mph zone. It was the second time in less than a year that Puig was arrested on a reckless driving charge, as he was arrested in Tennessee in April for allegedly driving 97 mph in a 50 mph zone. The reckless driving and speeding charges stemming from the April incident were later dismissed after Puig served 12 hours of community service.
“I sat him down myself when that happened [in April] and made it clear what we expect of him,” Kasten said Thursday. “I said then that, even if he thinks he can get away with it because he’s in Chattanooga, if you ever get to the big leagues, nothing — nothing — is going to escape attention. He brought that up to me today.”
Puig was a polarizing player throughout his first season in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers outfielder burst onto the scene and finished the year with a .319 average, 19 homers and 42 RBIs in 104 games, but his play — like his driving — was reckless at times. In addition to some occasional showboating, Puig often overshot cut-off men and got too aggressive on the base paths.
Florida authorities released a video of Puig’s December arrest on Wednesday. The 23-year-old can be seen getting an earful from the officer who pulled him over.
Click here to see a video of Puig’s recent arrest >>
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