Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Justin Turner injury: Dodgers veteran out for remainder of playoffs after hurting hamstring in NLCS Game 4

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Justin Turner has been a fixture for the Dodgers in the playoffs at third base going all the way back to 2015. Game 4 of the NLCS was the 82nd contest of his career in the postseason for the Dodgers. He has a damn good stat line, too, but if the Dodgers are going to repeat as World Series champions, it will be without Turner.

Turner had been battling neck and hamstring injuries throughout the playoffs. He even came off the bench in Game 2 of the NLCS. Still, he came back to start Games 3 and 4, looking to gut through the injuries and help his team. The decision was taken out of his hands in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 4 Wednesday night, however. 

Turner hit a grounder up the middle that eventually became a double play. Turner was hustling to first base an attempt to avoid being doubled up, but about halfway down the line he tweaked his left hamstring and hobbled the rest of the way in noticeable pain. He had to be helped off the field and down into the clubhouse by teammates and team personnel. 

After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that it’s a grade-2 strain of the left hamstring. Roberts noted that Turner’s playoff run was over, saying “I think that’ll be it for him” (via JP Hoornstra of Southern California News Group).  

As decent hamstring pulls go, we know this is a situation that will take weeks instead of days, generally speaking. Every body is different, but grade-2 hamstrings usually fall into four-to-eight week recovery territory. Turner is done for the NLCS and, once the Dodgers make a corresponding roster move, it means he’s not allowed to be placed on the World Series roster, should they win three straight games and advance. 

Turner, 36, hit .278/.361/.471 (123 OPS+) with 22 doubles, 22 homers and 87 RBI in the regular season. In the playoffs, however, he’s hit just .118/.211/.206. 

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