Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig watches his two-run home run off Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
CLEVELAND — Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig made an obscene gesture at Cleveland fans after hitting a home run Tuesday night.
After crossing home plate following his second-inning drive, Puig raised both middle fingers in the direction of fans seated in the dugout suites located on field level at Progressive Field. He was booed for the remainder of the game.
Puig said he was heckled in the on-deck circle, which is directly in front of those choice seats.
“People were talking to me before the home run, and they talked to me after the home run,” he said through a translator. “I stooped to their level. It happened suddenly. It came out. There’s nothing I can do about it. There were about four of them. They were pretty close there.”
Puig realizes he could face a fine from Major League Baseball for his actions.
“If I get fined, I can’t not pay it. I know I did it,” he said.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he didn’t see the gesture and asked jokingly, “Are you sure it wasn’t No. 1 he was signaling?”
Puig went 2 for 4 with a strikeout in Los Angeles’ 7-5 win over the Indians.