Dodgers News: Turner’s Availability In Question Due To Knee Contusion
On the night Howie Kendrick returned to the lineup after missing three games, the Los Angeles Dodgers may have lost another infielder for the next few days. Justin Turner was removed Monday in the fourth inning due to a left knee contusion. X-rays of Turner’s knee came back negative and he is listed as day-to-day.
Turner first bout with pain on the night came in the bottom of the third when he fouled a ball off his left knee. He immediately fell to the ground in pain, and was checked on by head athletic trainer Stan Conte and manager Don Mattingly. The third baseman remained in the game and flied out to center.
Then in the fourth, Turner slowly rose to his feet after a diving attempt on a base hit that carried into left field. He then gingerly walked off the field and was replaced by Alberto Callaspo. According to Eric Stephen of True Blue LA, Turner said the dive exacerbated the mild knee injury:
It wasn’t too bad after [the foul ball]. The next play, out on defense, the dive just made it even worse. I’m not sure which one was worse for me,” Turner said. “As time goes on, those things tighten up more and more. It was getting pretty uncomfortable. I didn’t want to be able to not get to a ball and cost Mike Bolsinger some runs.”
Turner added he’ll report Tuesday and attempt to gauge his status then:
I’ll try to do as much as I can tomorrow, and see where we’re at,” Turner said.
With the X-rays coming back negative Mattingly hopes it will correlate with positive news. “We’re hoping it’s just a bruise,” he said. “At some point we’ll find out how bad and what the swelling is tomorrow [Tuesday]. Hopefully he’ll be OK.”
Assuming Turner is to miss the next few games, it could spell more time at the hot corner for Alex Guerrero and/or Kiké Hernandez. With Yasiel Puig returning and bumping Andre Ethier over to left field, the Dodgers are in better position to absorb losing Turner for a brief period of time than they were only a handful of days ago.
[divide]Yasiel Puig On Returning From Disabled List
