Matters quickly went from bad to worse for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as Justin Turner came out of Thursday’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies after one inning. Turner was hit by a pitch on his right thumb in the top of the first.
Relayed by Alanna Rizzo on the Spectrum SportsNet LA broadcast, X-rays on Turner’s thumb were negative and he was diagnosed with a right thumb contusion. He was checked on by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and head athletic trainer Nate Lucero before initially remaining in the game.
Turner continued to flex his right hand while on the bases, and asked for a baseball prior to returning to the dugout between innings. He played the field in the bottom of the first but was not tested. Kenta Maeda issued two walks and allowed a single but otherwise struck out the side.
With Turner forced to an early exit, Logan Forsythe took over at third base in the bottom of the second inning. Forsythe started the game at shortstop in place of Corey Seager, who is expected to miss a couple games due to a tender ankle.
The domino effect included Chris Taylor moving from center field to shortstop, Austin Barnes entered off the bench to play second base, Chase Utley switched from second to first base, and that bumped Cody Bellinger out to center field.
After concluding a 10-game road trip Thursday, the team has just nine games remaining on their schedule. The Dodgers entered the day with a one-game lead over the Cleveland Indians for the best record in baseball.
