Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner left Saturday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates because of soreness in his left knee and was unable to return for Sunday’s contest.
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Turner Replaced by Alex Guerrero
Sunday, Sept. 20
Alex Guerrero entered Saturday’s game for Turner and is also batting eighth in the lineup on Sunday, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Shaikin also provided a synopsis from manager Don Mattingly, who said Turner is “expected to stay out of the field for a few days, but might be able to pinch hit.”
Turner, 30, has been one of the Dodgers’ most valuable hitters in 2015. He entered Saturday hitting .290/.366/.488 with 15 home runs and a team-leading .853 OPS.
The left side of Los Angeles’ infield is banged up right now, with Turner joining shortstop Jimmy Rollins in battling health problems. Rookie Corey Seager has been fantastic since getting called up and has the ability to play shortstop or third base, depending on what Mattingly needs.
However, the Dodgers don’t have a potent offense, entering play Saturday tied for 19th with 606 runs scored. Losing a player such as Turner, whether for one game or multiple days, makes the lineup even weaker with the postseason rapidly approaching.
Stats via Baseball-Reference.com.
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