Justin Turner's first days with the Boston Red Sox could not have gone any worse. The former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder took a nasty ball to the face in his first Spring Training outing with his new team. It was a gruesome sight, as Turner was left bloodied due to the pitch. The injury had many fans worried about his health and his availability for Opening Day. With that in mind, Alex Cora gave Red Sox fans a reason to be excited, per NESN.
“He (Justin Turner) walked on the treadmill (Thursday), felt good, same deal (Friday),” Cora told reporters, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “Just add a little more and take it day by day. We got plenty of time. The hope is for him to be with us (Red Sox) right away and we’ll shoot for that. He’s in good spirits. We were texting (Thursday) night and (he’s) feeling better. … So far, so good.”
The Red Sox acquired Turner in the offseason to help mitigate the loss of the departing Xander Bogaerts. The team is looking to bounce back after a supremely disappointing 2022 campaign. Bogaerts' hitting and defense will sorely be missed, but Boston needs to find a way to get back into postseason contention without their star shortstop.
At the very least, the Red Sox have avoided that same scenario to happen with their other star infielder. In the wake of Bogaerts' departure, Boston signed Rafael Devers to a massive eleven-year extension. That deal should, in theory, keep Boston in the mix for the postseason. Will they be able to deliver in practice, though?
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