Through nearly two months of the regular season, Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner stand alone as the only Los Angeles Dodgers players to start in every game.
While the All-Star infielders have started in all 43 of the Dodgers’ games thus far, the notion of providing them with potential rest is front of mind for manager Dave Roberts.
With the Dodgers holding a comfortable lead in Monday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals, Turner was removed after the sixth inning. Freeman previously was taken out after the seventh inning of a May 10 matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates in which L.A. won, 11-1.
Roberts noted that he prioritizes rest for his star players in lopsided games, but specifically mentioned a full day off could be coming soon for Turner, via SportsNet LA:
“I just think that right now, as the games have played out, I get them off their feet at times in a plus game or minus game. But these guys are just built to play every single day. That’s kind of all they’ve known, but I talk with them all the time as far as how they’re feeling. I think with Trea, during this stretch, I can see maybe once we get through this D.C. series, a day off might be in his future.”
In his first full season with the Dodgers, Turner has continued to provide a spark at the top of the lineup. He is batting .289/.356/.422 with 11 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 34 RBI and 10 stolen bases over 185 plate appearances.
Turner has been playing through a minor calf issue that Roberts previously said is not a significant concern.
Freeman also has impressed in his first season with the Dodgers, hitting .297/.389/.461 with an MLB-best 16 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 23 RBI across 191 plate appearances.
Turner would love to be teammates with Juan Soto
With the Nationals in the midst of a trying season, there has been speculation about Juan Soto and whether the club could look to trade him before the Aug. 2 deadline to maximize his value.
Turner, who was teammates with Soto when the Nationals won the World Series in 2019, recently said he would love to be reunited with the phenom on the Dodgers.
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