The Los Angeles Dodgers will be without the services of Justin Turner for the foreseeable future after being hit by a pitch — and ultimately fracturing his left wrist — in Monday’s game against the Oakland Athletics.
Prior to the unfortunate injury, Turner had torn the cover off the ball this spring. In 15 Cactus League games, he posted a .970 on-base plus slugging percentage with two doubles and three home runs across 36 at-bats.
Turner will avoid surgery on his wrist, but he nonetheless will likely be sidelined for several weeks. The Dodgers will not publicly reveal a timetable for his return.
The 33-year-old is staying upbeat and believes the club’s excellent depth will make up for his production in the meantime, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“Stuff happens. I’m going to do everything I can to get back as fast as I can. In the meantime, there’s a lot of good baseball players in here, I don’t think we’ll miss a beat.”
With Turner headed for the disabled list, Logan Forsythe is likely to receive the bulk of playing time at third base.
As Forsythe slides over to the hot corner, second base will presumably be occupied by the likes of Kiké Hernandez and Chase Utley, perhaps with the two forming a platoon.
Austin Barnes could also see some time at second base, though that’s largely dependent on how the rest of the Opening Day roster shapes out. If a third catcher in Kyle Farmer breaks camp with the club, it will allow Barnes to play more as an infielder.
