Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner will not require surgery on his fractured left wrist, but manager Dave Roberts declined to reveal when the team expects Turner to return to the field.
"How he heals will be determined," Roberts said Tuesday, the morning after Turner was struck by a fastball from Oakland Athletics pitcher Kendall Graveman. Turner described the injury as a "small, non-displaced" fracture. He was expected to meet with team doctor Brian Shafer during the day.
The injury means the Dodgers will open the season without the leader of their offense. Turner, 33, led the team in on-base plus slugging percentage in 2017 while making his first All-Star team.
The length of his absence is undetermined, and the Dodgers are unlikely to reveal a timetable, a team official said. Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman missed six weeks with a similar injury last season. Houston Astros outfielder George Springer missed nine weeks in 2015.
With Turner on the shelf, Logan Forsythe will become the primary third baseman. Second base will be manned by a combination of Enrique Hernandez, Chase Utley and backup catcher Austin Barnes. With Barnes an option at second base, the Dodgers will give an extended look at another backup catcher, Kyle Farmer, who can also play third base. Farmer started there on Wednesday.
