Yasiel Puig removed from Double-A game for 'mental mistake'

Dodgers minor league outfielder Yasiel Puig was removed early from his game in Double-A Chattanooga on Wednesday night, and was not because of injury. Lookouts manager Jody Reed, in his first year at the helm in Chattanooga, removed Puig for what was termed a "mental mistake" per a baseball source, as first reported by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.

No other information was given.

Puig started in right field for Chattanooga on Wednesday against the Tennessee Smokies. He grounded out in the top of the first inning, then grounded out again in the top of the third. He was removed from the game one inning later, in the middle of the fourth inning.

Puig is hitting .467 (7-for-15) with a home run and a double in five games with Chattanooga. He hit .517 (30-for-58) during spring training but with just 23 professional games under his belt the 22-year-old was optioned to Double-A on Mar. 26. Manager Don Mattingly and general manager Ned Colletti both mentioned during the spring that they would like Puig to develop more before getting promoted to the major leagues. Mattingly on Saturday was asked about Puig offered what seemed at the time an out of context quote but given Wednesday's actions seems more appropriate.

"I heard a guy say one time, you feed babies baby food. You don't give them steak when they are six months old," Mattingly said on Apr. 6. "Let him learn his lessons where they should be learned."