Yasiel Puig was no stranger to dust-ups during his MLB career. And while Puig hasn’t played in Major League Baseball since 2019, that continues.
Playing for the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League’s Tiburones de La Guaira, Puig was involved in a wild brawl.
The video, which was taken by a fan in the stands, showed several players fighting with each other. Puig was right in the middle of the action.
Former MLB All-Star Yasiel Puig was part of a massive brawl during a baseball game in Venezuela.
(Via @ELECTRICOTURCO)pic.twitter.com/Qk348oTWlE
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) January 26, 2024
This video definitely shows Puig as an aggressor. It’s natural to see that and think that it’s just another incident that he found himself in, something that was not uncommon during his MLB career. But another video, taken moments before this, shows Puig less as the aggressor and more as the reactor.
The benches were clear and Puig was right in the middle of the altercation. But at that point, the issue was more akin to something seen most of the time benches clear in an MLB game. There was some shoving but nothing particularly outrageous. Puig also appeared to be more of a peacekeeper, keeping players from the two teams separated.
But in the midst of that, there seemed to be a brief moment of more aggressive contact between Puig and an opposing player. At that point, another person on the opposing team threw what was essentially a windmill punch at Puig, connecting with him in the face.
At that point, the former Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star got heated.
Former Dodger Yasiel Puig takes a blow to the face while trying to keep players separated during a Winter League game in Venezuela😳
🎥: @lisettecarnet pic.twitter.com/5z29JImMFp
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) January 25, 2024
It’s still not a great look, particularly when considering how close the fight was to the fans. But a different look shows that Puig was not entirely in the wrong here.
[Dodgers Nation on Twitter/X, Photo Credit: ELECTRICO NAVEGANTE on Twitter/X]
