Turns out Yasiel Puig can still smash a baseball.
The former MLB All-Star made his debut Sunday for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League (CBL). And he looked an awful lot like the electric version of Puig that baseball fans remember from his Dodgers days.
Playing against the Kitchener Panthers at Christie Pits Park in Toronto, Puig went 2-for-2 with 2 home runs, 4 RBIs and 2 walks in the Maple Leafs’ 8-6 win.
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Not bad for a guy who could potentially be heading to prison in a couple weeks.
Puig’s baseball comeback is unfolding under a pretty massive legal cloud. Earlier this year, he was found guilty of obstruction of justice and making false statements to federal investigators tied to an illegal sports gambling operation.
The charges stem from a federal investigation into an illegal gambling ring in Southern California. According to reports, Puig allegedly placed hundreds of sports bets and racked up nearly $1 million in gambling losses that were never repaid.
He’s currently awaiting sentencing on May 26 and could face up to 15 years in prison, though many believe any actual sentence would likely be far less severe.
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Still, it puts a pretty big damper on his comeback tour.
For the CBL, signing Puig was a huge deal. Reports suggest it’s the largest contract in league history, and the former Dodgers star instantly became the biggest name in the league.
Of course, there’s a reason Puig still draws attention all these years later.
At his peak, he was one of the most exciting players in baseball. He burst onto the scene with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013 and immediately looked like a future superstar. Puig earned an All-Star nod in 2014, but he quickly fizzled out.
Puig spent seven seasons in MLB with the Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. His last MLB appearance came in 2019, though he’s continued playing professionally overseas in Mexico and South Korea.
Now, at 35 years old, Puig is trying to write one more baseball chapter.
And for at least one night in Toronto, it looked like vintage Yasiel Puig all over again.
