Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner has been suspended for one game for making contact with umpire Rob Drake after Monday's loss in San Diego. Turner has appealed the suspension, so he is available to play Tuesday night.
Turner struck out to end the game in San Diego on Monday night and didn't like the call, though it was a strike on the bottom/outside part of the zone. He was arguing with Drake, the home plate umpire, and as Drake tried to walk off, Turner made incidental contact with him. Still, it doesn't matter if Turner meant to make contact or not. He did. If a player makes contact with an umpire while he's yelling at him, that's always going to garner a suspension.
Turner, 34, is hitting .294/.376/.513 with 24 homers and 61 RBI this season.
It shouldn't be a big deal for Turner to miss one game, either. The Dodgers have a 19 1/2 game lead in the NL West and have the best record in the NL by six games. They are tied with the Yankees for the best record in baseball, so I suppose there's still one race left for them.
