Yasiel Puig MRI results show strained left thumb

LOS ANGELES -- MRI results show that Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig has a strained left thumb, which was jammed on a head-first slide in Saturday's game.

Manager Don Mattingly said that Puig is day-to-day and didn't think the injury would require a sting on the disabled list.

"We'll know a lot more how he feels tomorrow," Mattingly said. "Just talking to Stan [Conte trainer], it seemed more like a day-to-day thing than a DL thing.”

X-rays on Puig's thumb came back negative, but he still had swelling in the thumb on Sunday. After meeting with the Dodgers training staff before Sunday's game against the Giants he got dressed and left Dodger Stadium for his MRI exam. Puig returned in time for the game, but did not play.

"I'm hoping for the best is that he would be able to pinch hit tonight, but I don't know if that is going to happen," Mattingly said before Sunday's game. "The other scenario is tonight off, plus with tomorrow off and almost all day the next day, so it's almost three full days and hopefully he'll be ready [Tuesday night]."

Puig did stay in Saturday's game for all six remaining innings after jamming his thumb, and showed trainer Stan Conte he was able to still swing a bat in the batting cages. Mattingly said while the team is awaiting MRI results, they don't anticipate bad news.

"He's pretty swollen. We'll see. I don't think we expect it to be anything major," Mattingly said. "Probably if it was a different time of year he'd say 'I can play.'"

Mattingly said it was hard to get players not to slide head-first.

"Just like with Nick Punto they advised him for years but he kept doing it. It's hard to stop guys, but they do kind of naturally," Mattingly said. "We don't want guys to be going head-first into first, and it would be nice if they didn't go head-first anywhere, but it's how they do it."