Dodgers' Yasiel Puig subject to fine if he wears customized spikes again
LOS ANGELES -- It was bad news all around Tuesday for Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who continues to be kept out of the lineup with hamstring discomfort, while his eye-catching custom spikes are no longer allowed by Major League Baseball.
Puig received a letter from MLB informing him that he will be subject to a fine if he wears customized Nike shoes on the field again. The Orange County Register reported the fine could be as much as $5,000 for a violation.
Puig first wore shoes with an American flag theme on the Fourth of July and later wore shoes, designed by a local artist, with a Cuban flag theme.
The shoes that seemed to catch the league's eye, though, were a tribute to retiring broadcaster Vin Scully. Worn for one game during the opening series of the second half at Arizona, one shoe read "WIN FOR VIN," complete with a superimposed image of Scully's face on the side. The other shoe read "#ITFDB," a reference to Scully's famous tagline to start games: "It's time for Dodger baseball."
Puig had promised more eye-catching shoes on the current homestand, but it is uncertain whether those shoes will be seen in games now. One pair in his locker was Statue of Liberty-themed, while another pair had a large "66" (Puig's uniform number) emblazoned on the side.
There was little chance he could be fined for any kind of footwear Tuesday since he was out of the starting lineup for the fourth consecutive game after tweaking his right hamstring running down the first-base line Thursday at Washington.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts suggested this past weekend that Puig might have to go on the disabled list if he was unable to play by Tuesday. The club will wait one more day before making a decision. Puig was available to pinch hit Tuesday, Roberts said.
One reason the right-handed hitting Puig could have been out of the lineup Tuesday, other than his hamstring, was that the Dodgers were facing Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Chris Archer. The Rays have left-hander Matt Moore scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
