SAN FRANCISCO >> Yasiel Puig is running at full speed at the Dodgers’ instructional league facility, a “miraculous” development in the outfielder’s previously plodding progress from a hamstring strain.
“Like three days ago he was running at 80 percent and having pain,” manager Don Mattingly said. “And then all of a sudden he’s going 100 percent and feels fine. It’s been a nice little surprise.”
Puig is running curved lines as well as straight lines.
“It’s been pretty miraculous, actually, for me,” Mattingly said. “Howie (Kendrick, who missed most of September with a strained hamstring) was at 80 to 90 and it stayed at 90 for like 10 days. Yas was able to go from 80 to almost 100. That’s almost legendary.”
The manager said the Dodgers’ staff hasn’t discussed Puig’s availability for the playoffs yet, but Puig has been able to do some work on defense in Glendale, Ariz. The next major step would be for him to regain his timing against major-league pitching.
One realistic scenario: Brett Anderson figures to pitch a simulated game during the Dodgers’ four-day break following their final regular-season game Sunday. Puig could return during that time period to face Anderson and gauge his readiness.
“We’re just getting there, moving forward from our end of it,” Mattingly said.
Puig is slashing .256/.324/.440 in 77 games this season. He’s made two separate trips to the disabled list because of hamstring strains.
“When you have injuries, you never really get into a rhythm,” Mattingly said. “The guy that’s able to go out there like Adrian (Gonzalez), 140 to 150 times, there’s always a rhythm to that. The guy who plays 20, hurt, 15, hurt, it’s hard to get any rhythm. That’s really Yasiel’s season in a capsule. I don’t really feel like he’s gotten into any kind of rhythm this year where he’s just playing baseball.”
The Dodgers have used a fairly consistent outfield rotation in September. Justin Ruggiano (against left-handed pitchers) and Carl Crawford (against right-handers) have gotten the lion’s share of starts in left field. Kiké Hernandez and Joc Pederson have split duties in center. Andre Ethier (against righties) and either Scott Van Slyke or Chris Heisey (against lefties) have been the right fielders.
Adding Puig to the mix in right field could disrupt a roster that must be trimmed from 37 to 25 in time for the playoffs. For the Dodgers, it’s an interesting — and potentially good — problem to have. It’s one that seemed unlikely to exist as recently as a few days ago.
“You concern yourself with all the guys, what anybody affects,” Mattingly said. “When you talk about setting your roster for the postseason, that affects guys. Your buddy may not be on it. A guy who’s been on (the active roster) the whole year may not be on it because you set it up differently. Anytime you set your roster, there’s some type of effect. Personally, I pay attention to it a lot because I feel it affects the dynamic of your clubhouse.
“Sometimes you can’t put a number on it. You can’t quantify it in any way. As a person that’s been in the clubhouse your whole career, you understand there is a dynamic there, what affects guys.”
Everywhere you look
Anderson was caught by surprise when a scenes from an episode of Fuller House, Netflix’s relaunch of the 1980’s sitcom Full House, was filmed next to the Dodgers’ dugout during the seventh-inning stretch.
Anderson was warming up to pitch while actress Jodie Sweetin sang and spoke into a microphone over the PA system at AT&T Park.
“I didn’t know what the hell that was,” Anderson said. “I didn’t know if it was serious, or what was happening. Then I had to lock it back in. … I thought it was just her being awful at singing. I had to collect myself there for a second. Then I asked (A.J.) Ellis; he said they were filming. Then I felt kind of bad.
“I’m not used to that too much where you’re in the middle of an inning, they’re filming a TV show, and she’s yelling at players and fans and stuff. It added a little spice to it.”
Anderson said he was a fan of Full House growing up, “but I didn’t ever watch it while I was pitching.”
Happy trails
Two Giants pitchers, Tim Hudson and Jeremy Affeldt, might have pitched their final games Thursday. Hudson was making his final start in what he has announced will be his final season. Affeldt announced before the game that he was retiring, then relieved Hudson in the third inning.
Earlier in their careers, Hudson was a teammate of Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood in Atlanta, while Affeldt played with Dodgers pitcher J.P. Howell in Kansas City.
“The season I played with Huddy was when he got his 200th win, so I got to experience that season with him, and obviously today was pretty cool,” Wood said. “I was glad to see him get a really nice standing ovation from everybody. He definitely deserves it. He had a great career.”
Said Howell, “I’m sad to see him go, but he put a heck of a career in. He was there when I was a rookie. He taught me a lot of things. One thing was being a good person off the field, to be honest. He was the definition of it. … He meant a lot to me in my career.”
