Former Dodger Yasiel Puig Makes Huge Career Announcement

"Although I will not be returning to Kiwoom this year, my heart is with my Kiwoom teammates and fans, I have grown to love and admire you all so much," Puig wrote. "Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you to my agent, for always negotiating the best outcomes for me and continuing to push me to be he best player I can be. Thank you to Phil, my coaches, Alex, and all of the friends that have backed me this season. Your continued support of me in this difficult decision will not be forgotten, and I appreciate you all for putting my health first.

"The next step is the biggest so far. I can’t wait to share it with all of you."

Writing on Twitter/X, Puig's agent, Lisette Carnet, stopped short of saying Puig would undergo surgery but said her client "is expected to make a full recovery" after undergoing "necessary treatment."

"Yasiel will receive full compensation by the Heroes for 2025," Carnet wrote on Twitter/X.

Puig burst onto the scene with the Dodgers after defecting from his native Cuba. He finished second in the 2013 National League Rookie of the Year voting after posting a career-best .319/.391/.534 slash line and .925 OPS. He went on to earn his first and only All-Star selection the following year.

Puig played six seasons in Los Angeles, from 2013-18, before splitting the 2019 season with the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. Puig reportedly agreed to a contract with the Atlanta Braves for the 2020 season, but announced he tested positive for the coronavirus and never played in MLB again.

Earlier this year, Puig made an explicit plea on social media for a new contract in MLB.

“I hope that one day @mlb I can have the opportunities opened up for me like they have for others who have failed. Many will say things about me that aren't true, but I ask that you look at something: I have never been suspended for reasons outside of the field. I ask that justice be done one day. I will never give up,” Puig wrote on Twitter/X in a post translated from Spanish to English.

Puig signed with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO and played 39 games before the injury ended his season. He slashed .217/.292/.349 with six home runs, 20 RBIs, and 37 strikeouts in 168 plate appearances.

Now the 34-year-old will wait patiently to show what he can do once he's healthy again.