Why Justin Turner Did Not Play In Red Sox’s Loss To Royals

There was a noteworthy omission from the Red Sox lineup Tuesday evening at Fenway Park.

Justin Turner did not play in Boston’s 9-3 loss to Kansas City. Turner was not inactive because the Royals sent a right-handed starter to the mound, though. A bruised left heel kept the 38-year-old out of action, and as manager Alex Cora revealed to reporters, Turner isn’t expected to play until Friday at the earliest.

Turner sustained the injury July 31 in the ninth inning of a loss in Seattle. The two-time All-Star missed Boston’s next three games but returned to the diamond Saturday. The veteran infielder struggled at the dish in his first three games after returning, going a combined 2-for-10 with two strikeouts, no walks and no extra-base hits.

“That’s your legs, that’s your base. It’s hard to hit that way,” Cora told reporters, per The Boston Globe.

Turner’s injury is a bit easier for the Red Sox to cope with now that they have a veteran, middle-of-the-order bat back in the mix. Trevor Story made his season debut Tuesday night, and although he struggled in his first MLB game since last September, he should be able to find his groove as he receives more reps in the batter’s box.

Story might be on the bench with Turner on Wednesday night, though. Cora recently explained how Boston might ease the star shortstop back into action by playing him every other day.