Yasiel Puig will not plead guilty to lying to the feds during their investigation of an illegal gambling ring after all.
The former MLB star announced on Wednesday he's now pleading not guilty in the case -- saying in a statement, "I want to clear my name."
"I never should have agreed to plead guilty to a crime I did not commit," he added.
As we reported, Puig had initially agreed to plead guilty to one count of making false statements ... after federal prosecutors accused him of lying about participating in an illegal gambling business during an interview earlier this year.