Dodgers Should Play it Safe and Let Justin Turner DH
Every time I see Justin Turner run, in any direction on the diamond, I hold my breath. And since I'm already holding my breath during Kenley Jansen's appearances, my respiratory system is going to need a little help.
That help ought to come in a decision from above -- from the big boss Andrew Friedman's office, that is -- to write Turner's name in the lineup card as the Dodgers' designated hitter in the postseason.
We can debate the analysts' view that JT has lost a step on defense in the last year or two if you like. He's 35 and he's had more than one hamstring issue over that time, so it makes good sense. But this call isn't about that. In a perfect world, you want the player on the field with his eight mates as much as possible. You want his experience, his smarts and his leadership.
But in case you hadn't notice, the world isn't perfect. Equally as important, Turner can relatively be careful at the plate, thinking about what he has to do after the ball is struck. You can already see him doing it, carefully exiting the batter's box and heading toward first. You can see how he takes it a step at a time, working his way around the base paths without any unnecessary risks.
[Follow Sports Illustrated’s Inside the Dodgers on Twitter.]
At the hot corner you really can’t think that way. Because it goes against instinct. The ball cones off the bat and you react. You don't think about diving. You just do it. And the last I checked, diving requires hamstrings.
Because Los Angeles needs Turner's bat in the lineup nightly, they cannot take that risk. Shortened season or what have you, Turner is hitting .296/.396/.415, with eight doubles, a triple, two home runs and 21 RBIs in 2020. I'm already on record predicting that he'll hit more homers in the postseason than in the regular season, and whether that's the case or not, the man is going to hit. And he is one of the Dodgers' most reliable October performers.
Reliable to the tune of a .310/.411/.520 slash line, with 13 doubles, one triple, nine homers and 35 RBIs in exactly 200 postseason at bats over 54 games.
As much as I like him, I can't honestly say that I know how good a third baseman Edwin Rios is. I haven't seen him dive for baseballs much, if at all. I haven't seen him race into foul territory or into left field for a pop fly much either. But Rios can run better with his 25-year-old legs than Turner can with his 35-year-old ones. I know that much. And I know Rios can fire the baseball to first base.
If the plan is to platoon Rios -- and I don't know that it is -- I'd wager that Chris Taylor is the best option for the job versus left-handed postseason starters. He's played 25 games at third in his career (24 of them with L.A.) and has made two errors, which tells us essentially nothing. But I'm confident that Taylor can play the position. So if Turner is in the DH spot and if the club is going to start someone other than Rios at third at any time during the post, it ought to be CT3.
More importantly, it shouldn't be the man Dodgers' fans call Red Turn. It's simply not worth the risk. If you're going to roll dice, roll them somewhere else, please.
And remember, glove conquers all.
Howard Cole has been writing about baseball on the internet since Y2K. Follow him on Twitter.
