The big news of the day in Major League Baseball is the fractured wrist that Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner suffered late Monday night. Initially, there wasn't much information as to the extent of the injury, but Tuesday afternoon the Dodgers updated the situation and it sounds like great news for the Dodgers.
Justin Turner said he will not need surgery. His broken left wrist will be in a brace for a few days, then he can begin range of motion exercises. “Good news,” Turner said.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) March 20, 2018
With the season starting a week from Thursday, it's rather obvious Turner will start the season on the disabled list, but there has to be hope here that Turner will be able to return before April ends.
The Dodgers will cover Turner's absence with depth and defensive versatility, but he's still one of their biggest bats and losing him for any amount of time is a blow.
Turner, 23, hit .322/.415/.530 (149 OPS+) with 32 doubles, 21 homers, 71 RBI and 72 runs with 59 walks and 56 strikeouts in 130 games last season. He made his first All-Star team and finished eighth in NL MVP voting.
We still don't have a firm timetable, but beginning range of motion exercises in just a few days bodes well for a quick return. From there, the question will be how well his wrist holds up both swinging a bat and on defense.
