The Boston Red Sox are without one of their most important bats in the lineup again when they open a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night at Fenway Park.
Justin Turner will be sidelined for his fourth straight game with a bruised right heel he sustained on the last day of July, and he revealed earlier this week the injury is worse than previously thought.
Turner continues to make progress, though, and the Red Sox could get him back very soon as they try to make up ground in the American League wild-card race.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters before Friday’s game that Turner is “trending in the right direction” and might play Saturday, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.
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Another positive sign Turner is close to returning is he did some running pregame with the training staff looking on and fielded grounders at second base, both of which were caught on video by Speier.
The Red Sox are at a critical point in the season as they enter Friday four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the third and final AL wild-card spot. The gravity of the situation the Red Sox are in isn’t lost on Turner as he looks to get back as soon as possible.
Turner did play two games in last weekend’s series against the Toronto Blue Jays and in the series opener against the Kansas City Royals, but he didn’t look like himself, going 2-for-10 at the plate.
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Turner has been instrumental to the Red Sox offense in his first season with Boston, batting .284 with 17 home runs and 71 RBIs in 105 games.
Getting Turner back into the lineup will be a tremendous boost to the Red Sox at a time when some healthy bodies are returning on the pitching side. Chris Sale, who hasn’t pitched in over two months, will start Friday’s contest. Garrett Whitlock is expected to rejoin the team Sunday, with Tanner Houck’s return not too far into the future, either.
Featured image via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images
