Dodgers seek help from unlikely source

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Yasiel Puig weighs on the mind of Dodgers 

Cuban overweight - hasn't spoken to new manager Roberts

The Los Angeles Times reported today that newly hired Los Angeles Dodger manager Dave Roberts and troubled right fielder Yasiel Puig have yet to talk.

Puig, the controversial Cuban outfielder, burst onto the American baseball scene two years ago but has had a difficult relationship with teammates and, most notably, former Dodger manager Don Mattingly, who was fired by the team at the end of the last season.

In view of Puig’s past relationship issues, new manager Roberts said he hoped to speak to Puig sometime over the next month or so in order to build a bond. In fact, Roberts blamed himself for the one missed connection between the two, reporting, “I tried to call him but I only had one bar, so the extent of the talk was my saying, ‘Can you hear me now?’ and my hearing something like, ‘Me gusta ropa vieja.’"

Puig’s allusion to “ropa vieja,” Cuba’s national dish, is telling, as it is reported that the outfielder currently weighs 280 pounds, 40 or so pounds over his natural playing weight.

Dodger management, concerned that the extra weight will limit Puig’s playing ability this coming season, is taking action to get Puig to slim down. It is reported that Dodger president of baseball operations, Andrew Friedman, has sought permission from the Boston Red Sox to have Puig train with Bosox third basemen Pablo (Kung Fu Panda) Sandoval who is noted for his disciplined approach to keeping his own weight down.