Yasiel Puig rejoins Dodgers after stint on DL with hamstring strain

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers received some outfield reinforcement Tuesday as Yasiel Puig was activated from the 15-day disabled list.

Puig had not played in a game since June 2 at Chicago as he recovered from a strained left hamstring. After a hot start during the first week of the season, Puig cooled considerably and was batting .237 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 53 games at the time of his injury.

"I'm working hard with the bat," he said. "I've always worked hard. And I hope this second half I'll do a lot better on the field."

In five rehab games with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, Puig went 5-for-12 (.417) with a home run, three walks and two RBIs.

"I hope not to run too much," Puig said. "I hope my teammates can hit the home runs and get the strikeouts. And if I do get a hit, it won't be a single. It'll be a double or a home run, so I won't have to run as much."

Puig's prophecy did not hold true as he notched only a single in three at-bats, but did score a run in the 3-2 win.

Prior to the game Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked if he would specifically monitor Puig, who has dealt with leg injuries in the past.

"Once he's here, he's gotta go up there and play and be who he is," Roberts said. "But I think as far as monitoring him, it's about giving him days off. It's one of those things where he wants to be there every day, which most players do, but that's going to be my decision to back the load off a little bit to get Trayce [Thompson]or Joc [Pederson]in there, or Howie [Kendrick], or Scott [Van Slyke], something like that."

To make room on the active roster, the Dodgers optioned right-hander Carlos Frias back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Frias was a candidate to assume the vacant rotation spot made available when Mike Bolsinger was optioned to Oklahoma City. The Dodgers will now look in a different direction for the spot, which comes around for the first time Friday in the opener of a four-game series atPittsburgh.

One option for the Dodgers is using Thursday's off day to move the team's four starters back one day in the rotation. If they went that route, they wouldn't need a fifth starter until Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Milwaukee.