Turner, Dodgers relieved by MRI results

BALTIMORE -- In any other set of circumstances, the news the Dodgers received about Justin Turner on Thursday afternoon could have been downright lousy. But given this particular reality -- that they have been left guessing what’s nagging their third baseman’s left ankle -- the diagnosis was more of a relief.

An MRI on Thursday morning showed that Turner has a mild left ankle sprain, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced before the series finale against the Orioles. Turner sat for a fourth straight game on Thursday and isn’t likely to return by Friday, but he’s considered day to day and could return during the weekend series in New York.

“I think it’s probably a less concern now that we know it’s a mild sprain,” Roberts said. “With the sprain, time heals it. What that timeline is [will] be determined. But yeah, a little relief.”

"It’s getting better," Turner said on the FOX broadcast Thursday night. "Got a picture taken this morning, got good news. A little mild sprain in there. Take a few days, let it calm down and hopefully get back out there."

The sigh of relief comes in the form that there is no structural damage to Turner’s left ankle. Instead of a medical bar needing to be reached, his return will be contingent on pain tolerance more than anything else.

“It’s one of those things where it’s per his tolerance,” Roberts said. “And, obviously, he still has discomfort. ... I do think that we’d have him available in some capacity in New York, but I think right now, where we’re at, we don’t expect to see him in the lineup [Friday] night.”

So ends nearly a week of guessing for the Dodgers, after Turner sustained the ailment last Friday. While they still don’t know what exactly caused the sprain, Roberts guessed it was on a defensive play on a ball hit by Jeff Samardzija at Dodger Stadium.

Turner, however, said he didn’t feel the pain until the next day and that he felt good enough to start Saturday before being pulled for a pinch-runner in the eighth inning.

"Honestly, I don’t [know]," Turner said. "I know I made a play Friday night ... landed kind of funky. Actually spiked myself in my right ankle. But at the end of the night, next day, ankle was barking a little bit, and it kept getting worse. Didn’t have an answer for it, and finally it got to the point where I wanted to go in, get an MRI done and find out exactly what is going on. It is what they thought it was, a little mild sprain in there."

The Dodgers will err on the side of caution with Turner, who is likely healthy enough to play if these games mattered for anything more than home-field advantage in the postseason. It would behoove the Dodgers to make sure their third baseman -- and his career .313/.420/.503 postseason slash line -- is at full health for October.

Jansen nominated for Roberto Clemente Award
Kenley Jansen was named the Dodgers’ nominee for the 2019 Roberto Clemente Award, which is given to the player who “best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

Jansen, who founded the Kenley Jansen Foundation to support the families of seriously and chronically ill children, will be recognized with a pregame ceremony Wednesday ahead of the Dodgers’ home contest against the Rays. Fans can vote for the overall winner until Sept. 29 at http://mlb.com/clemente21. Clayton Kershaw is the last Dodger to win the MLB-wide award, in 2012.

Worth noting
• Scott Alexander’s abbreviated season ended with a left forearm nerve decompression procedure in Los Angeles. Roberts said it was to try and correct the nerve damage in Alexander’s left hand that cut his season short.

“From what I understand, the training staff said it was a success,” Roberts said. “I don’t know what his prognosis is, though. It was more [for the] nerve in the left hand.”

• Jaime Schultz, a 28-year-old righty who appeared four games for the Dodgers this season, was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for lefty Rich Hill, who made his return to action Thursday for the first time since June 19.

Acquired from the Rays in January, Schultz hadn’t pitched for Los Angeles since July 28 and put up a 7.20 ERA across five innings.