SEATTLE -- Most of Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner's 12-game hitting streak has come after he opened his batting stance during a cage session nearly two weeks ago in Oakland.
His average had dipped to .259 (it's .294 now), and it looked like the broken wrist that robbed him of the first six weeks of the season and a second-half adductor problem were turning this into a lost season.
"I hit early in BP in Oakland and it just didn't feel right," said Turner, who extended his streak to 12 with a solo home run in the eighth inning on Saturday night at Safeco Field. "There's a drill we do to open up the stance and I tried it. It felt really good, and I just decided to open up and it felt real good that first game and it has ever since."
A week later, Turner and Manny Machado switched spots in the batting order. Since Turner moved up to second and Machado down to third, Machado entered Saturday 6-for-16, including two homers on Friday night. Turner is batting .426 during his hitting streak. Until then, Machado had taken the No. 2 spot, where Corey Seager had resided until he was lost for the year with Tommy John surgery.
"We acquired Manny to be a middle-of-the-order damage guy," said Turner. "The way our front office and [manager Dave Roberts] had put the lineup together the last few years, Seager in the two-hole, they just kind of put him there in that spot. I'm comfortable either spot and when [Roberts] said he was going to hit me second and Manny third, I said, 'That's awesome.' Doesn't bother me one bit."
Injury updates
Yimi Garcia, Josh Fields and Tony Cingrani continue their injury rehabs, and Roberts said they would probably return in that order, but none is less than a week away. In other words, they probably won't be activated until rosters expand Sept. 1.
Roberts was unsure about the next step for Julio Urias, who could be another bullpen option in September, although he has allowed a home run in each of his two California League games and might not be ready for pennant-race competition after missing more than a full year. Cingrani and Urias are on the 60-day disabled list, so their returns would require opening 40-man roster spots.
Kenley Jansen, Thomas Stripling, John Axford, Erik Goeddel and Chase Utley are also on the DL and could return before Sept. 1. Jansen is hopeful his cardiologist clears him to return next week.