Dodgers' Puig reveals ankle problem after being benched for Game 4

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, who was omitted from the lineup for Game 4 amid a brutal slump at the plate, admitted Tuesday he's not completely healthy, reports Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

“I have a problem with my ankle, but I had to continue playing because we have to advance to the next round,” said Puig, who was replaced in the lineup Tuesday by Andre Ethier.

Puig, who battled discomfort in his ankle throughout the latter stages of the regular season, struck out in seven consecutive at-bats before knocking an opposite-field triple during the sixth inning of Game 3 on Monday. The 23-year-old, however, struck out in his subsequent at-bat and hasn't looked comfortable at the plate for the last two games.

“They’ve pitched me from the middle of the plate to the outside,” he said. “I knew they would do that, but I haven’t been able to connect.”

Puig's revelation contradicts manager Don Mattingly, who insisted prior to Game 4 at Busch Stadium that Puig is "healthy."

Puig added that Mattingly didn't talk to him about the decision to start Ethier in center field Tuesday with the Dodgers just one loss away from being eliminated.

“I don’t need him to talk to me about it,” Puig said.