Justin Turner and the Red Sox appear to have dodged a bullet Monday afternoon in Fort Myers, Fla.
Turner exited Boston’s spring training matchup with Detroit in the first inning at JetBlue Park after taking a Matt Manning fastball to the face. A bloody Turner left the diamond with the help of a trainer and was taken to a local hospital shortly thereafter.
The Red Sox announced Turner was receiving treatment for soft tissue injuries and was being monitored for a concussion. The club also revealed the 38-year-old was “stable, alert and in good spirits” despite the unfortunate circumstances.
Turner was playing in his seventh spring training game with Boston before his early exit. The two-time All-Star signed a one-year contract with a player option for the 2024 season with the Red Sox in early January after spending his previous nine Major League Baseball campaigns with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Barring any sort of setback, Turner is in line to be Boston’s Opening Day designated hitter March 30 when the Red Sox kick off their regular-season schedule against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.
