Dodgers Team News

Dodgers Injury News: Justin Turner Out for the Postseason

It was pretty much already assumed, but Dodger manager Dave Roberts confirmed it late on Wednesday night. Justin Turner injured his hamstring trying to stay out of a double play — it was a grade 2 strain. Moreover, the injury will spell the end of the 2021 season for the veteran third baseman.

“I think that’ll be it for him.”



Later today, the team is expected to replace Turner on the active roster. Roberts mentioned Billy McKinney, Zach McKinstry, and longshot Andy Burns as options. As for who would replace JT at 3B, Doc wasn’t prepared to make that decision in the moment, but did say that Cody Bellinger would be in centerfield and Albert Pujols would take over at first base against the left-hander Max Fried.

Presumably, Chris Taylor would move to third base for the rest of the postseason, however long that is.

Turner finishes his postseason with a .200 batting average and .533 OPS over 9 games, both career-lows.

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Clint Pasillas

Clint Pasillas has been writing, blogging, and podcasting about the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008. Under Clint's leadership as the Lead Editor, Dodgers Nation has grown into one of the most read baseball sites in the world with millions of unique visitors per month. Find him online on Twitter/X or his YouTube channel!

28 Comments

  1. Sad ending for one of best postseason performers in Dodger history. Reason Dodgers are in a 1-3 hole in this series? LACK OF PROVEN POSTSEASON PERFORMERS! Thanks AF! Wasting $100m on a human dumpster fire! That move completely undermined what might have been the most talented team in Dodger History! Now it will take a minor miracle to stave off elimination. Not impossible, but highly likely given the lack of proven postseason performers! My two cents. Just sayin

    1. It just might be the exclamation point on the season of injuries. Not making excuses just stating facts. To win a championship you have to be good, you have to be lucky (a win somewhere along the line when you had no business), and you have to be healthy. The Dodgers have plugged holes all year but how do you carry the absence of Muncy and JT in the big moments?
      It’s fine to have friendly spirited disagreements so I have another. Friedman is by far the best executive in baseball. He has a plan and sticks to it while he surrounds himself with the best talent. His drafts are superb – despite where he picks – and his organization gets the most out of players. That’s why every year some team hires one of his guys to run things. He’s going to the hall when he’s through.

      1. Bum4, I do appreciate other viewpoints. You are very insightful and make some good points. Especially about the fact that Friedman’s underlings getting hired by other teams.

        Yes injuries do play a huge role. 1988 Dodgers lost their MVP, Kirk Gibson, remember him? One AB in the World Series. How do you fill the void? Others step up! Stuntman Micky “Mantle” Hatcher step in. I’ve written about this ad nauseam at the beginning of the playoffs that the postseason is filled with unlikely heroes. The postseason wipes the slate clean and allows a dismal regular season to be set aside. Enter Cody Bellinger (who I defended endlessly). I will always defend a player who struggles during the season but has a track record of postseason success and vice versa. Trea Turner, like your Homeboy, have a proven track record of less than stellar performance in the postseason.

        But thank you for the accurate rebuttal on Friedman.

    2. When the dust settles the single biggest point of failure will be the Bauer debacle and it’s trickle down effect on the entire pitching staff. The Dodgers having to do bullpen games in the playoffs? And all the while he cashes his paychecks.
      I don’t buy the injury claims though. Where’s Ronald Acuna? Yet the Braves offense is beating the Dodgers like a drum.
      The Dodgers’ offense is performing just like it did all year. Hot and ice cold.
      All that being said, I’m not ready to give up yet. If the Dodgers can somehow find a way to win tonight, I like the way the weekend sets up for them.

  2. Today we find out what this team is really made of IMHO. Should be interesting to see how they respond with their backs up against the wall. So far this postseason they’ve won 3 elimination games vs teams IMO better than the Braves (Cards and Giants), so it’s not like they can’t get it done.

  3. Deja Vu. The Dodgers were in this spot last year and can manage to fight their way out of a 3-1 again. I agree that its not impossible but its going to take a miracle and a lot of Dodgers getting it together to make it happen. It aint over until its over and I personally do not want the Dodgers season to end tonight. Go Dodgers!

    1. There is a big difference between this years Dodger team and last years’– We don’t have Muncy, Pederson, or Hernandez. WE just lost JT (although he has been a liability in this year’s postseason) and even more importantly, these last two games will not be played on neutral grounds (as was last year’s), but in Atlanta where we are 1-4 this season. We also now have Souza, Pujols and probably Mckinstry or Mckinley–not quite a fair tradeoff. The outlook is extremely bleak at best. In any case, the FO has a lot of work to do in the offseason.

  4. Now all we have to do is get the other Turner out for the postseason and we have a fighting chance!

      1. You two are f*cking idiots. Trea is the best hitter in baseball. He is not the only one failing to producing this post season. Dump old man Justin Turner.

        FIRE Roberts the Clown! He is completely inept and can’t motivate this team or make this team cohesive. His handling of the pitching staff is abominable.

    1. I think hitting him leadoff and slipping Mookie and Corey to 2 and 3 might be the best option. If he still fails to hit at least Smith follows the other 2.

      1. Bum4, that is another option. I put out my guess for the lineup under another story.

        Let’s go Dodgers!

    2. The Dodgers managed to make it to the 2021 NLCS without Joc or Kike, but I must agree that both of their postseason bats are missed right about now. In order for this miracle to happen, our current team without JT (whose bat, as you point out, was relatively cold) has got to put together runs. Correct me if I am wrong but Muncy was also struggling offensively before his injury. Our bullpen stepped up throughout the regular season and continues to do so. Now our offense must do the same if the Dodgers are going to make it to the World Series.

      1. No doubt about it, offense has to produce some runs. The only other option to stop the Braves from scoring. Previous Dodger teams have done so. Just sayin. Game is not one dimensional.

  5. Of course, the game is not one-dimensional; but, right now, it is the Dodgers’ offense that is not producing which is why many fans are talking about missing Joc and Kike’s bats. Last night’s game was a blow out; but, the other games, including the 1 that the Dodgers won, were not.

    1. B Mcp, well we can agree to disagree. Dodgers had Leads in both games in Atlanta! Tough to get a lead without offense.

      Game 1, Dodgers up 2-1 on HR by Smith. Inexplicably Gonsolin (a proven postseason non performer) is allowed to pitch to Braves hottest hitter Riley! Game tied. Lose in Walk-off when Riley is pitched to again!

      Game 2, Dodgers up 2-0, Scherzer hangs a curveball to Joc (who had taken Max deep as a Dodger) game tied. Dodgers re-take the lead. Urias brought in (bad move), Mookie playing too shallow in CF allows Riley’s drive over his head. Game tied. Lose another walk-off.

      I had previously stated here that the thing I haven’t seen with this team is “the fire in their eyes.” Their talent allowed them to get this far. Braves IMHO are hungrier. Just my two cents.

      Let’s go Dodgers! Down but not out.

    2. Concur here as far as the offense goes, but very questionable pitching moves and having Lux in CF during this post season was not the best of plans. Injuries just also may have caught up with them too.

        1. IDK, but since the Braves are starting Max Fried and have other good LH relievers to throw at Dodgers, I’m not sure replacing JT with either McKinney or McKinstry, both LHB. Andy Burns is a possibility here, it couldn’t hurt.

          1. Paul, kind of like re-arranging the deck chairs on the titanic. A confluence of bad luck circumstances will stick a fork in the Dodgers season I’m afraid. Losing Kersh and Muncy the last weekend of the season looms large here. Losing Leads the first two games dug a hole too.

          2. Looks like Dusty Baker and the Cheaters again. Sounds like a bad name for a band.

  6. They should’ve never resigned JT. This is the third consecutive year that he has been injured. I hope that he will be ok.

  7. Upthread, Bum4ever commented: Upthread, Bum4ever commented:

    “Friedman is by far the best executive in baseball. He has a plan and sticks to it while he surrounds himself with the best talent.”

    Plan? So did Admiral Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet and mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attack. And thank our luck stars we all know how that turned out.

    That is all…

    “Friedman is by far the best executive in baseball. He has a plan and sticks to it while he surrounds himself with the best talent.”

    Plan? So did Admiral Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet and mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attack. And thank our luck stars we all know how that turned out.

    That is all…

    1. Look Friedman has done a bunch of great things for the Dodgers no doubt…unfortunately he also done some of the worst as well:

      Yordan Alvarez for Josh Fields? Really?
      Signing a $100m dumpster fire.
      Not re-signing a proven postseason stud with gold glove defense at multiple positions.
      Taking a pitching advantage and turning it into a liability somehow. IIWII

      1. If you are talking about signing Bauer was a mistake, then you are mistaken. He is innocent and if he was still with us, we wouldn’t be in this elimination situation once again.

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