(AP Photo) The Los Angeles Dodgers appear to close to be bringing back two familiar faces as they try to hold onto top spot in the National League West.
Let’s start with a move that’s expected to be made first. Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports that Yasiel Puig will be called up by the Dodgers on Friday as major-league rosters expand to 40 players in September.
It was just a few days ago*that Puig’s time in Los Angeles seemed to be coming to an end. He was sent down to Triple-A at the start of August and was reportedly claimed on waivers this week, opening the possibility of a trade before the Aug. 31 waiver deadline. However, a deal wasn’t made and Puig remained with the organization. Now he’s reportedly returning to the big leagues after having hit .348 with a .400 OBP, four home runs and 12 RBIs in 19 Triple-A games.
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Who knows how much he’ll play, but we do know there’s at least one more chapter to add in the Puig-Dodgers story.
The other face has been sorely missed and his story with the team is far from over.*Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman confirmed Clayton Kershaw will make a rehab start with Rancho Cucamonga over the weekend before the Cal League season wraps up.*Depending how that goes, he might pitch in a simulated game before getting a start with the Dodgers or jump right into the rotation next week.
Needless to say, getting the best pitcher in baseball back is a big deal. Before injuring his back in June, Kershaw was in the midst of another tremendous year. He was 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 16 starts and looked to be in position to win the NL Cy Young and MVP awards.
Kershaw’s probably missed too much time to be seriously considered for either but if he can make a few starts down the stretch he can still do his part in keep Los Angeles ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the division. Their lead is currently two games.
Getting Kershaw back will be a big help for the Dodgers, especially in the postseason. Perhaps Puig will help, too. The Los Angeles and San Francisco showdown for the NL West*somehow just got even more exciting.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew*on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr