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Touch 'Em All: Puig goes Hollywood; biopic in the works

When the wild story of Yasiel Puig's journey from Cuba to an MLB contract was published a few weeks ago in Los Angeles Magazine, many said it was like something out of a Hollywood thriller.

When the wild story of Yasiel Puig's journey from Cuba to an MLB contract was published a few weeks ago in Los Angeles Magazine, many said it was like something out of a Hollywood thriller.

Hollywood apparently agrees. The Hollywood Reporter says producer/director Brett Ratner has acquired the rights to Puig's story. Ratner is best known for the Rush Hour movies and X-Men: The Last Stand.

The magazine wrote that Puig was able to escape the Communist island after a wealthy sponsor hired smugglers working for a Mexican drug cartel to pick him up in a speedboat and bring him to the Yucatan Peninsula. Afterward, Puig was held captive for nearly three months in a dispute over the agreed-upon fee.

Beltran: More translators

Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran told the Newark Star-Ledger he thinks that each major-league team should have one dedicated Spanish interpreter for players.

Beltran said he was surprised that Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda addressed the media in English after being ejected during Wednesday's game for having pine tar on his neck. "It's a problem, of course, because he can't express himself the way he wants to."

The Yankees have three translators for Japanese players Ichiro Suzuki, Hiroki Kuroda, and Masahiro Tanaka.

World of hurt

The Pirates placed catcher Russell Martin on the 15-day DL Saturday with a strained left hamstring.

Martin was injured during Friday night's 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The 31-year-old was hitting .242 with two homers and 11 RBIs.

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw looked strong in his first minor-league rehab assignment Friday in Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) that he sees no reason for another rehab start before joining the rotation.

Kershaw, who went five innings and gave up 2 hits, 1 run and had 6 strikeouts, next will throw his normal between-starts bullpen session on Monday. Manager Don Mattingly was noncommittal, saying: "We'll just see where we go."

Kershaw hasn't started since beating Arizona on March 22 in Australia.

- Inquirer wire services