Yasiel Puig hires a new agent

SAN DIEGO — The Dodgers open a three-game series against the Padres on Monday night at Petco Park, with Yasiel Puig looking to remove the zero from his home run column.

Puig nearly hit one on Wednesday against Oakland, but former teammate Trayce Thompson reached over the wall in center field to rob him. Puig, who hit a career-high 28 home runs in 2017, has zero home runs through 14 games this season but four doubles, and is hitting .222/.283/.296 (12-for-54).

Puig has an expected weighted on-base average of .327 compared to his actual .257 wOBA, thanks in part to averaging 93 mph in exit velocity in the early going.

In his career Puig has hit .284/.371/.498 against the Padres and his 13 home runs against San Diego are his most against any team. Puig is a .290/.372/.466 career hitter at Petco Park with five home runs in 38 games.

Puig is 1-for-3 with a single against Monday Padres starter Robbie Erlin, though they haven’t faced each other since 2015.

Monday also marks the first time this regular season that Puig has an agent, hiring Dan Horwits and Cesar Suarez of Beverly Hills Sports Council to represent him. Puig was previously represented by the Wasserman agency, who terminated their relationship in February for reasons unknown.

“The interview process was a mutually beneficial opportunity to ensure that we are a fit for one another,” said Horwitz in a statement on Monday. “We immediately found Yasiel to be engaging, creative and passionate about his endeavors both on and off the field. We look forward to working with Yasiel to carry out his vision for his career and amplifying his impact domestically and internationally through the Wild Horse Children’s Foundation.”

Puig earns $7.5 million in 2018 as the final season of his seven-year, $42 million contract signed in 2012. The outfielder has one more season of arbitration eligibility remaining before qualifying for free agency after the 2019 season.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network