The Los Angeles Dodgers not only suffered a loss to a Texas Rangers team that had been scuttling over the past two weeks, but they saw Justin Turner exit in the seventh inning after stealing second base.
It came on the heels Turner’s RBI single tying the game and extending his on-base streak to 21 games. His gait changed a few steps before going into a head-first slide, and Turner immediately gestured to the dugout.
A Dodgers trainer came to check him on and Turner walked off the field after initially attempting to remain in the game. For now, the club has only determined it was due to some sort of hamstring trouble
“I’m not sure if it was his right or left, or a cramp versus mild strain,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the loss. “But I do know he’ll be down [Saturday] and we’ll re-evaluate on Sunday where he’s at.
“With the hamstring and cramping, it’s more or strength (than testing), and I think his strength was there. I think we feel pretty good about where he’s at.”
Roberts followed that up on Saturday by saying Turner had improved but he would miss the remainder of the series with the Rangers.
Turner recently missed a game after being hit by a pitch in his left hamstring last Saturday. He experienced tightness toward the end of the game and with being held out of the lineup plus a break in the schedule, Turner benefitted from two consecutive off days before returning.
The minor injury came at the end of the Dodgers playing 17 straight days. Overall, Roberts had been pleased with how the club managed workloads and maintained their focus throughout the most grueling stretch of their 60-game schedule.
Turner has appeared in 32 of 34 games this season, starting in each he’s played.
Edwin Rios recovering
The Dodgers recently went through a similar situation to what transpired with Turner, though in the first instance Edwin Rios was allowed to remain in the game. However, that decision proved costly as Rios failed to score from second base on a single, and then was removed.
Roberts suggested the team believed Rios was dealing with a hamstring cramp, but he was placed on the 10-day injured list shortly after. Rios became eligible to be reinstated this week, though likely won’t return until the Dodgers complete their road trip.
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