Last Updated on January 19, 2023 by C-CAR
ANAHEIM, Calif. — L.A. Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig was removed from a spring training game Thursday night against the Angels as a precaution following a violent collision with second baseman Howie Kendrick.
The play occurred in the fifth inning while Puig and his new teammate were chasing a shallow fly by Mike Trout that fell for a leadoff triple.
• PHOTOS: Tout homers, Puig leave game, Kendrick returns as Angels win
Kendrick, who spent his first nine big league seasons playing second base for the Angels before they traded him to the Dodgers in December, peeled off when he heard Puig call for the ball at the last instant — but could not avoid hitting him.
“There hasn’t been any trouble out there all spring. It was just one of those things,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “I don’t know if Yasiel didn’t think he could call it early enough. I mean, you can’t call for it until you know you’ve got it, so everybody keeps coming until the end. And obviously with him calling it late, Howie’s going to keep going and he’s going to have trouble stopping.”
Puig went down and was tended to by a trainer before walking off the field under his own power.
“I’m glad everybody’s OK. That’s the main thing,” Mattingly said. “It looked like Howie got him in the neck or the throat with his shoulder. Howie didn’t hear anything until the last second. The infielder’s going to keep going until he hears something, and that’s basically what Howie did. That’s when it gets dangerous.”
Puig was replaced in right field by Chris Heisey. Trout scored moments later on Albert Pujols’ sacrifice fly, which gave the Angels a two-run lead in their 3-2 victory.
