Justin Turner Breaks Wrist On HBP

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner will miss opening day, and likely at least the first month of the season, after suffering a broken wrist when being hit by a pitch in Monday night’s spring training game against the A’s.

Turner, who led the Dodgers in batting average and OBP in 2017, took a 94 mph fastball from Kendall Graveman right below his batting glove in the first inning. He left the game, and X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture of the left wrist.

Turner will be examined today by the Dodgers’ team physician, and until then there’s no official timetable for his return. But GM Farhan Zaidi said this type of injury is “usually on the order of weeks,” and the Los Angeles Times’ Bill Shaikin cites similar injuries that have seen players return between six and nine weeks. That would seem to project Turner coming back sometime in May. So, not a disaster, but not an ideal start to L.A.’s pennant defense.

In the meantime, Zaidi said the Dodgers aren’t going to look at free agents or trades to fill Turner’s absence.

“You feel for the player and we’re not as good a team without J.T., no doubt about that,” said Zaidi. “The rest of the guys are going to have to do more for us to play at the same level.

“But the next thought, practically, is what it means for the team, and as far as that goes, we have some very capable guys who are going to be given a chance to seize an opportunity. We feel very confident staying in-house with this one and the hope is we’re not missing him too long.”

Manager Dave Roberts said his first thought was to move 2B Logan Forsythe to third, and have Chase Utley and Enrique Hernandez platoon at second. But just in case, here’s the list of unsigned third basemen. Some decent names on that list!

The Dodgers open their season on Thursday, March 29, at home against the Giants.