Yasiel Puig expects to return to Dodgers lineup Sunday

Yasiel Puig said he expected to return to the lineup Sunday for the Dodgers’ series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“They’ll put me in because it’s a day game,” he said jokingly in Spanish on Saturday.

Manager Don Mattingly said the slumping all-star outfielder was held out of the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory on Saturday night because of a stomach problem. Puig downplayed the severity of the ailment and said it was management’s decision to not start him.

“When I saw the lineup, I wasn’t in there,” Puig said.

That freed him up to prepare himself for the next day.

“Because I wasn’t playing, they gave me the day off to receive some treatment and work in the cage to correct what I’m doing wrong on the field,” he said.

Puig is batting .188 over his last 26 games. He has only two home runs over his last 80 games.

His season batting average is down to .295.

“That’s how baseball is,” he said. “I was hitting well for a while, but I’m going through something now that happens to everyone who plays this great game. I have to continue working to see if I can help my team.”