Justin Turner injury update: Dodgers third baseman leaves NLCS vs. Braves with hamstring injury

The Dodgers will have to finish Game 4 of the NLCS without their postseason franchise leader in home runs and RBIs.

Third baseman Justin Turner was forced to leave Wednesday’s game against the Braves with an apparent hamstring injury, according to a report from Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Shaikin. It is unclear if he will be available to play in Game 5.

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In the seventh inning of the game, Turner grounded a ball up the middle to Braves’ second baseman Ozzie Albies, who fielded the ball, stepped on second for the first out and threw on to first to nab Turner to complete the double play. Turner came out of the box running full speed, but slowed down as he came closer to the bag. He left the game with the Dodgers trailing the game 5-2 and the team down in the NLCS 2-1 to Atlanta.

He was replaced by utility bat Chris Taylor at third base.

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Turner missed several weeks late in 2020 due to a left hamstring injury and has been hampered this postseason by both the hamstring and a neck injury that forced him to sit Game 2 of the NLCS, though he later came in to pinch hit.

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This is the latest injury for a Dodgers squad already debilitated by them. First baseman Max Muncy has missed all of the postseason due to an elbow injury. Ace Clayton Kershaw has also been sidelined with forearm discomfort for the entirety of the postseason.

Turner has long been one of the team’s best postseason hitters. He holds the Dodgers’ postseason records with 13 home runs and 42 RBIs, and has slashed a collective .274/.372/.475 in his playoff career.

He has struggled this postseason, however, as he has just a .416 OPS. His lone home run in the playoffs was a big one, as it tied the NL Wild Card Game against the Cardinals at 1-1.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.