Red Sox fans held their collective breath Monday afternoon when Justin Turner went down in scary fashion.
Turner took a Matt Manning fastball to the face on the first pitch he saw in the spring training game between Boston and the Detroit Tigers at JetBlue Park. The veteran infielder immediately dropped to the dirt and was spewing blood when Red Sox manager Alex Cora bolted out from the dugout. Turner eventually worked his way to his feet and was taken off the field by a trainer, who covered the 38-year-old’s face with a towel.
You can watch a video of the gruesome scene here, but be warned that the clip is graphic.
Turner was playing in his seventh spring training game with the Red Sox, who signed the two-time All-Star to a one-year contract with a player option for the 2024 season in early January. It remains to be seen when Turner will be able to return to game action.
Following Monday, Boston has 22 spring training contests left on the docket before it kicks off its regular-season slate March 30 against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.
UPDATE (2:20 p.m. ET): Turner was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham. No further update was provided.
