Yasiel Puig goes 1 for 4 in return

ByABC News
April 5, 2014, 8:20 PM

— -- Yasiel Puig was back in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup on Saturday, one day after being benched for the team's home opener against the San Francisco Giants.

Puig batted leadoff and played right field in Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Giants. The Cuban star went 1 for 4 at the plate a day after being benched for arriving late for batting practice.

Puig did require X-rays after injuring his left thumb in the third inning running the bases. He also received treatment from a trainer for the thumb, which he says he jammed on first base.

Puig also picked off first in the third for the final out with Adrian Gonzalez at bat.

Puig, speaking through a translator, said he was glad to be back and appreciated the fans' response to him.

"I felt OK to play nine innings, that's what I wanted to do," Puig said, according to MLB.com. "I got treatment today and we'll see the results and how I feel and they'll check to see if I can play [Sunday]."

Puig had claimed he did not oversleep and asked his teammates for forgiveness following Friday's 8-4 loss to the rival Giants.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said after the game he did not think the infraction was "that big a deal," claiming that Puig "felt bad" about being late.

"He felt bad he wasn't here, and I believe that," Mattingly said. "He's a good kid. Does he have to grow up and get better? Yeah, but there's a lot of guys like that."

Puig was benched for an August game in Miami last season for violating a team rule and showing up late to the clubhouse. He later hit the decisive home run as a pinch hitter.

ESPNLosAngeles.com's Mark Saxon and The Associated Press contributed to this report.