Puig charged with reckless driving

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig looks on during batting practice at Busch Stadium. [Photo/Agencies]

A news release from the Florida Highway Patrol said a white Mercedes driven by the 23-year-old Cuban defector was pulled over around 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

Authorities said Puig was arrested and charged with reckless driving and taken to the Collier County Jail for processing. Puig lives in the Miami area during the offseason.

Dodgers spokesman Joe Jareck declined to comment on Puig's latest arrest.

In April, when he was still in the minors, Puig was charged with reckless driving and speeding after Chattanooga, Tenn., police clocked him going 97 mph in a 50 mph zone. The charges were dismissed in November after Puig completed community service in Los Angeles.

Puig was an instant sensation with the Dodgers last season, batting .319 with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs. He helped them reach the NL championship series, where they lost to St. Louis, and was runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award.

Puig signed a $42 million, seven-year contract in June 2012, a record for a Cuban defector. He received a $12 million signing bonus and made $2 million last season.