After being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first inning during Monday’s game, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was sent for X-rays that revealed a broken left wrist. A timetable for his recovery is not yet known.
He entered the night batting .333/.400/.556 with two doubles, two home runs, three RBI and three walks through 14 Cactus League games. Turner slugged a home run in his first at-bat of Spring Training.
He appeared primed to build off what was arguably the best season of his career. Appearing in 130 games, Turner hit .322/.415/.530 with 32 doubles, 21 home runs and 71 RBI. Turner was in contention for the National League batting title, which Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon won.
In 516 games over four seasons with the Dodgers, Turner has hit .303/.378/.502 with 113 doubles, 71 home runs and 264 RBI.
While the Dodgers certainly would prefer to avoid any player sustaining an injury, losing Turner creates a significant void. It’s plausible Logan Forsythe will be moved from second base to third base, or Kiké Hernandez could receive the bulk of starts in Turner’s absence.
Chase Utley has also seen some time at third base, but he may be the least likely of the options. Turner’s injury may further push the Dodgers toward carrying a five-man bench, which manager Dave Roberts hinted at in recent days.
It came two weeks after Roberts indicated the Dodgers were likely to opt for an eight-man bullpen come the regular season.
