Steve Webb
Does JT have another good year in him?
LOS ANGELES — For almost the entirety of this latest streak of Dodgers excellence, Justin Turner has been a constant at the hot corner. There was a brief scare at the end of 2020 where it seemed that we might lose him to the Brewers in free agency, but thankfully that was averted. However, Justin Turner is not young man in baseball terms. At 37, his most productive years are behind him. But he is still in a position to contribute to this team in a major way. Let’s take a closer look at Turner, and also at the players who might be around to pick up the slack when JT needs a day off during the year.
Justin Turner (2021: .278 AVG., 27 HR, 87 RBI)
Justin Turner had a tale of two seasons in 2021. In the first half of the season, he was lights out. His pre-All Star game numbers were eye-popping: .305/.391/.498 with 15 round-trippers and 50 RBI. After the All-Star break there was a decided drop off. Though there were fewer games in the second half, the difference in his numbers were stark: .241/.320/.434 with 12 homers and 37 RBI.
Clearly, Turner was running out of gas at the end of the year. And, from a guy who was usually such a clutch performer in the postseason (he has the franchise record for postseason HRs, after all), Turner’s October was surprisingly pedestrian. He hit only .118 in the postseason with only one solo homer and a single RBI. That just ain’t gonna get you many World Series titles.
So it’s clear that Dave Roberts is going to have to watch his aging star carefully this year. Load management will be key to keeping JT fresh for a deep run in October. That’s why the universal DH is going to be such a godsend for the Dodgers this year. If we can have Turner DH one or two games a week, that will lighten the stress on his body considerably, and should keep him with fresh legs all year long. Which is why Turner’s back-ups are going to be even more important this year.
Edwin Rios (2021: .078 AVG., 1 HR, 1 RBI)
Since a million things have happened since then, a lot of us have forgotten that it was not Justin Turner who was on the field when the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020. Nope, he was unceremoniously yanked off the field in that regrettable Covid kerfuffle during Game 6. Instead, it was rookie Edwin Rios who had to man the position for the final few outs of the Series. However, after that high, Rios’s baseball life turned very sour in 2021. He only got 51 at-bats the whole year, and connected only once for a long fly.
Then about a month into the season, we found out why. Rios had been playing through a nasty shoulder injury that just wasn’t getting any better. And that was it. Rios’s season was over. He was shut down immediately, and had surgery to repair a partially torn labrum. The surgery and rehab put him on the shelf for 2021, but he’s back in camp this Spring, and he’s been launching bombs into the grass beyond the right field fence pretty regularly in batting practice. It’s going to take some time to get that sweet swing game-ready, but it was great to see Edwin back on the field.
Others…
In addition to Rios, there are a few others who might take a turn at third when Turner is not occupying the position. Hanser Alberto has experience at third, and could be a good late-inning replacement for Turner when defense is at a premium. Max Muncy, as you may recall, first broke in with the Dodgers when Justin Turner hurt his wrist in Spring Training a few years back, so he might get positioned there a few times during the year. Chris Taylor also played third a handful times last season, but he’s pretty far down the depth chart. Gavin Lux might get a turn or two at third. In addition, Jake Lamb is a natural third baseman and he’s been great this spring. Andy Burns is trying to make the squad again this year, and might do in a pinch.
Still, the prime directive at third base is clear. Use Justin Turner enough to keep him sharp in the field, but make sure he has enough fuel in the tank for the postseason.
DODGERSBEAT RATING: B
