CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 22: Yasiel Puig #66 of the Cleveland Indians bats as J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on in the first inning at Progressive Field on September 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Phillies 10-1. (Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images)
With the MLB lockout still in place, former Los Angeles Dodgers star Yasiel Puig released a statement on how he believes this is an opportunity to address the “needs of Latino players.”
Once a star for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Yasiel Puig currently isn’t on an MLB roster. What happened to Puig and will he be able to make a return in 2022? It seems like he’d like to be back on a roster sooner rather than later.
In a statement shared to Twitter, Puig addressed a few talking points surrounding the MLB lockout, including the opportunity to address the “unique needs of Latino players.” He also discussed how he is looking to “return to the big stage.”
Throughout this lockout and its resolution, Puig believes both the union and MLB to take a step forward in “[asking] questions of players like [him]” because they “have so much to say.”
According to Puig’s statement, he had difficulty assimilating and “had to learn [his] lessons the hard way.” He made it clear that he doesn’t want other players “with a similar background to experience the same hardships.”
“I hope negotiations consider this gap,” Puig’s statement reads.
Yasiel Puig shares statement about MLB lockout, desire to return to MLB
In his statement, Puig also touched on the note of second chances and personal growth. He discussed how he believes “everyone deserves the chance to turn the corner” and added that he wants “this chance more than anything.”
Puig hasn’t played for a MLB team in a while and recently settled a sexual assault lawsuit.
Puig recently played for El Águila de Veracruz of the Mexican League and finished the season with the honor of being the Defensive Player of the Year. It remains to be seen if Puig will get a chance to play on a MLB roster in the future.