Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: Justin Turner’s Return Still in Question

Another day, another game without All-Star third baseman Justin Turner in the Dodgers lineup. JT last appeared in a game on September 7th against the Giants. After a bit of a false start on the part of manager Dave Roberts where he said Turner would return to the lineup on Tuesday, now the expectation is that the veteran will not even be in the lineup on Wednesday.

Turner has been nursing a mild ankle sprain he says he sustained on a play he made in the field. While progress has been made, the third baseman is exercising caution while he still can.

It’s not to a point where I hoped it would be, but it’s definitely getting better every day. I’m at a point where I don’t want it to be something that lingers into the postseason. I want to make sure it’s feeling good. — via Mike DiGiovanna; LA Times

In Turner’s absence, the team has gone 6-2 with Matt Beaty and Chris Taylor getting the lion’s share of starts at 3B. With 10 regular season games left, there is still time for JT to get his timing close enough for the start of postseason play. Dave Roberts expanded on that thought.

With his track record, he’s shown he can get ready to play in games with a short ramp-up. It’s not really about the schedule remaining. It’s about making sure JT is 100%. When he’s available to start, he’ll be in there.

Justin admits that he could be playing now, but there’s reason to push it.

Los Angeles will host the winner of the NL Wild Card game at Dodger Stadium on October 3rd.

Clint Pasillas

Clint Pasillas has been writing, blogging, and podcasting about the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008. Under Clint's leadership as the Lead Editor, Dodgers Nation has grown into one of the most read baseball sites in the world with millions of unique visitors per month. Find him online on Twitter/X or his YouTube channel!

3 Comments

  1. Note to Dave Roberts:
    Unless you play JT at least a little he will be rusty when he returns, like the now floundering Max Muncy.

    But then Roberts is the worst MLB manager going.

    Oh to have a guy like Houston’s Hinch. The Dodgers would be sprinting to October rather than stumbling to October.

    1. Well Jon, there is always those “ROCTOBER” LlMITED EDITION special LP’s that one can find soon enough. But another LHP tonight goes against the Dodgers and look for any team Dodgers face in the PS to throw as many LHP as possible because if ya saw last night’s game on YOU TUBE they couldn’t touch Snell, and he just got back from an extended stay on the IL. Joc will sit again tonight along with his 32 HR’s

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