Due to a fractured left wrist suffered in a Spring Training game nearly two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers began the 2018 regular season without Justin Turner, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list.
While the 2017 All-Star recovers, the club will utilize its depth around the infield to help replace his production on both sides of the ball. Logan Forsythe is expected to receive the bulk of his playing time at third base, while Kiké Hernandez and Chase Utley seeing time at second base.
Turner’s progression appears to be going smoothly, as he may be inching closer to swinging a bat for the first time since suffering the wrist fracture.
Despite this bit of good news, the 33-year-old recently revealed that there’s still no timetable on when he may return to the field and that he was told the injury could take up to 10 weeks to heal, via Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
“Literally, when it happened they were like, ‘It could be four weeks, it could be 10 weeks,'” Turner said. “There really is no timetable.”
Needless to say, a four-week recovery process for Turner would be the best-case scenario. But if similar wrist injuries from around the league are any indication, Turner may be looking at a return date of closer to eight weeks down the road.
What’s certain, however, is that the Dodgers won’t reveal a public timetable on when Turner could return to action. This is to ensure that unrealistic expectations aren’t placed on him, in the event he faces a setback either health-wise or performance-wise.
After the Dodgers complete their opening four-game set with the San Francisco Giants, Turner is heading to Camelback Ranch, where he’ll continue rehabilitating with other players on the disabled list.
