The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched an eighth consecutive National League West title Tuesday night, but longtime leader Justin Turner could only take part in the modest celebration due to being scratched from the lineup for the series opener with the Oakland Athletics.
Shortly after providing an updated lineup with Edwin Rios in it, the Dodgers announced Turner was replaced due to hamstring discomfort. He had been penciled in to start at third base for the first time since returning from a stint on the 10-day injured list for a strained left hamstring.
“There was just a cramp in his hamstring. As he went through his pregame and felt good, then something kind of tightened up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after his club’s win.
Roberts added he spoke with Turner, who relayed he wanted to be back in the lineup Wednesday night. “I’ll just see how his hamstring responds,” Roberts said. “But when the player says he wants to be in there, that’s a good thing.”
Although Turner was slated to play the field in the series opener, Roberts had already indicated it was not going to be for nine innings as the team prioritizes health heading into the postseason.
Turner has been unable to shake free of trouble with his left hamstring since being hit by a pitch on Aug. 22. He was held out of the series finale against the Colorado Rockies the following afternoon, which amounted to two days of rest as the Dodgers then were off.
Turner then made four consecutive starts before coming out of an Aug. 28 game at Globe Life Field after tweaking his hamstring on a stolen base. The Dodgers initially hoped it was a cramp and gave him the rest of the weekend series off out of precaution.
He was re-evaluated upon the team returning home and place don the IL on Sept. 1. Turner was then activated exactly two weeks later.
Dodgers not planning change at third base
Despite there only being a handful of regular-season games remaining on the schedule, Roberts said the team is not mulling a shift for Turner to become a designated hitter only. “No, that’s not the plan,” he said.
“Ultimately if that’s what it comes to, certainly we’ll take his bat. But I think the goal is to get him out there playing defense for us. We’ll see how he feels [Wednesday].”
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