Dodger fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief after witnessing Cuban superstar sensation Yasiel Puig make a daring (and unnecessary) head-first slide into first base in the 8th inning of Saturday night’s eventual 2-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves before a sellout crowd of 52,716 at Dodger Stadium.

Puig, who hit a hard smash to Braves second baseman Dan Uggla, raced down the line and elected to dive head-first (a la Nick Punto) and was safe on a play in which he more than likely would have been safe without the risky slide had he simply run through the bag. Instead, Puig landed extremely hard and appeared to jam his right hand into the bag and then slid roughly across it.

When asked if he was hurt, Puig quickly answered “No” – perhaps a little too quickly. (Video capture courtesy of FoxSportsWest.com)

Puig was visibly shaken up on the play and was seen flexing his right hand and fingers in the dugout later in the inning after being forced out at second base. When he returned to the field for the top of the 9th inning, he could be seen rotating and flexing both his right and left shoulders, which did little to relieve the anxious concerns of Dodger fans.

After the game Dodger manager Don Mattingly was asked if Puig was alright.

“I think so, it was a little rough in there,” said Mattingly. “I didn’t hear anything and didn’t see him getting treated or anything like that. We’ll see tomorrow. It looked like he got in there pretty good though.”

Puig was one of the last players to return to the Dodger clubhouse from the trainers room and was asked (through an interpreter) if he had injured his hands or shoulders. He gave a one word answer: “No.”

Asked if he would be in the line-up tomorrow (Sunday), Puig was a little more specific.

“I’m ready for tomorrow but it’s not my decision if I play.”

The guy whose decision it is was asked if he was going to have a little chat with his star right fielder about this head-first sliding business.

“Ya, that may be something (I’ll talk to him about), and Punto sliding (head-first) into second (when) the ball is going to third,” Mattingly answered.

As he seems to do every day, Puig once again had the large crowd in awe when he made yet another incredible throw from right field to third baseman Luis Cruz on the fly to nail the speedy Andrelton Simmons, who was trying to go first to third on a single by Jason Heyward. Simmons was out by a good three feet.

“It kind of reminds you of Ichiro or a Jeff Francoeur-type arm,” said Dodger starter Stephen Fife, who suffered the loss. “You watch it happen and go ‘wow’. We’re definitely watching something special with him,” added Fife.

You’ve just been Puiged.
(Video capture courtesy of MLB.com)

On another note, Andre Ethier was limping noticeably as he left the clubhouse after Saturday night’s game. Ethier fouled a ball off of his right ankle in the 6th inning which caused him to drop to his knees in obvious pain; however, he was able to finish the at bat and flied out to center. He remained in the game until pinch hit for in the bottom of the 8th.

There’s not a lot that Dodger head trainer Sue Falsone can do for Andre Ethier after he fouled a ball off his right ankle.
(Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

With left-hander Mike Minor going for the Braves on Sunday afternoon, Ethier will most likely sit, which can only help his tender ankle.