Yasmani Grandal is regaining his form after injury

The trouble for Yasmani Grandal began in early May, when the Dodgers catcher took a foul ball off his left wrist in Toronto and suffered a bone bruise.

Grandal hit .292 with a .414 on-base percentage in his first 17 games, with 10 strikeouts and 10 walks in 58 plate appearances. But in 21 games from May 6 through Friday, Grandal hit.104 (seven for 67) with a .208 OBP, dropping his season average to .183.

The wrist began to improve last week, and Grandal hopes his run-scoring single Saturday and three-run homer Sunday against Atlanta is the start of a rebound.

“While I was hurting, I was late on everything because my hands were slow,” Grandal said. “But it’s gotten a little better. I don’t have to try to pull everything or swing harder. I just let everything flow, and that’s why I’m able to see the ball better. I’m swinging at better pitches and not chasing.”

The normally patient Grandal, who drew 65 walks in 115 games in 2015, went 17 games from May 8-22 with no walks and 17 strikeouts. But in nine games through Sunday, Grandal had nine walks and five strikeouts.

Best friends forever

New Rams quarterback Jared Goff and Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig shared a few laughs and hugs Monday, when Goff and several fellow Rams draft picks took batting practice and Goff threw out the ceremonial first pitch—to Puig.

Goff, the former University of California star, grew up in Northern California as a San Francisco Giants fan. In 2013, after Puig flipped his bat to celebrate a walk-off home run against Cincinnati, Goff tweeted, “I really hope Puig gets a fastball in his ribs tomorrow.”

After the Rams selected Goff with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Puig retweeted Goff’s message and welcomed him to Los Angeles, inviting him to be his guest at a game. The slugger gave Goff a “#PuigMyFriend” T-shirt.

“We made up a long time ago,” Goff said. “It was cool to be here and get a chance to meet and talk to him. He’s a good guy. I tweeted that when I was 17, and it came out now. He thought it was funny.”

Was it tough for a Giants fan to don a Dodgers jersey?

“No, it’s lovely,” Goff said. “I’ll wear it proudly.”

Short hops

Brandon McCarthy, recovering from elbow ligament replacement surgery, threw a three-inning, 50-pitch simulated game Monday. Manager Dave Roberts said the right-hander would begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment of four or five starts this week. … The Dodgers signed former Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch, who missed 2015 after having thoracic outlet surgery, to a minor league deal and sent him to triple-A Oklahoma City.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com