Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig often uses his arm to throw out baserunners. But on Monday night at Yankee Stadium, Puig’s cannon caused an entirely different — and damaging — result.
After catching the final out of his team’s 8-2 victory in New York, Puig tossed the ball toward a group of eager Dodgers fans, knocking out one fan’s tooth in the process.
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Alyssa Gerharter, according to the New York Daily News, was taken to the hospital after a trip to the first aid room at the stadium. According to the report, Gerharter’s tooth was reinserted, and she’s hopeful it will fuse with the bone, negating any need for a replacement incisor.
To Puig’s credit, he visited Gerharter in the hospital, and they both held up a sign with the hashtag #PuigMyTooth, a reference to the #PuigYourFriend meme that emerged in April after Puig tweeted at Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff.
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Though done with the best intentions, Puig’s ill-fated gesture was the latest mishap in what has been a roller-coaster season for the polarizing Cuban outfielder. After bursting on the scene with an excellent rookie season in 2013, Puig’s 2016 campaign has been one to forget. The Dodgers sent him to the minors in August, and almost traded him, before ultimately recalling him to the Dodgers on Sept. 2.
Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
