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SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Yasiel Puig is focused on leaving his mistakes in the past and performing as expected in 2016 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. A few pounds lighter, the Cuban outfielder said he is focused on playing all 162 games this regular season, unlike last season, when injuries limited him to just 79.  "I am working to strengthen the legs and prevent injuries like last year and focused on continuing adjusting to my new life in the majors, to get along with my teammates and try to help the team," Puig said Friday in an interview with ESPN Deportes. Puig already has met new Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who replaced Don Mattingly this offseason. "I talked to him and I am glad that he's on board, because I believe that he will help me a lot to relate to everybody on the team," Puig said. "When I was in Cuba [in December], I asked Nelson Cruz and Miguel Cabrera for some advice, because in their beginnings in MLB, they were also criticized. I don't know how to do it [to relate]. I'm not going locker by locker, shaking hands with everyone. The people like to criticize everything. They even criticized God, whom they didn't know, so, it doesn't matter if they criticize Yasiel Puig." Puig joined the ESPN Deportes broadcast team Friday in the press box of Estadio Quisqueya. Like Cuban compatriots Aroldis Chapman and Adeiny Hechavarria did last year in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Puig came to support the team of Ciego de Avila, which is representing Cuba in the Caribbean Series. Puig even joked a little bit about the future in his conversation with broadcasters Enrique Rojas, Ozzie Guillen, Ernesto Jerez and Luis Alfredo Alvarez. "I'm practicing just in case I have to prepare to do something else besides play baseball," he said. "If the Dodgers release me, and nobody else give me a job, then maybe I'll apply for a job at ESPN."
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