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Phillies’ Trea Turner returns to face former teammates

May 2, 2023

LOS ANGELES ― A framed photograph of Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman hung between their two locker stalls last season in the Dodgers’ home clubhouse. They weren’t teammates for long – just one season – but their cheesy, smiling mugs exuded all the good vibes you would expect from a 111-win team.

The vibes were genuine, Turner said Monday, when he returned to Dodger Stadium as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It was special being here, putting on the uniform,” he said. “I think it’s one of the best uniforms to put on in the game. Playing in front of the fans, the team, what they’ve built in the last 11, 12 years, and just being part of that and learning. Just that winning mentality of the franchise from the top down. Knowing what it takes to do that each and every year, it’s so hard.”

The Dodgers acquired Turner and pitcher Max Scherzer in a trade with the Washington Nationals in July 2021. Turner quickly endeared himself to fans with his fleet feet and even quicker bat. He led the National League in batting average (.328) in 2021, then drove in 100 runs and scored 101 last season, batting mostly out of the No. 3 spot in the Dodgers’ lineup.

Perhaps most memorably, in his fourth game as a Dodger, Turner slid foot-first into home plate to score a run against the Phillies, then popped up without a hint of friction between his feet and the ground. The clip still makes the internet rounds from time to time.

The good memories and good vibes headed east after last season. The Phillies lured Turner away with an 11-year, $300 million contract. The Dodgers did not present a formal offer after the season ended, Turner said.

“I had conversations with them in spring training last year; that didn’t work out,” Turner said. “So once that happened, I think anything’s possible. … It’s the business side. I told Andrew (Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations), just be honest with me and I’ll be honest with you. I thought we had great communication. Tip my cap to them. Communicated really well. That’s all I ask of them. Like I said, just didn’t work out.”

Turner said he would have entertained the idea of returning to the West Coast had the Dodgers made an offer.

“I entertained one West Coast team,” he said, ostensibly in reference to the San Diego Padres’ reported contract offer. “I definitely would’ve entertained another. … Yeah, it didn’t work out but I definitely would’ve considered it. I would’ve entertained it. I thought they would be on me. They weren’t.”

In hindsight, the decision to let a franchise shortstop sign elsewhere looks penurious on the Dodgers’ part. After losing Gavin Lux to a season-ending knee injury during spring training, the team has been forced to split shortstop duties among Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor and – in a surprise to some – Mookie Betts.

“I kind of thought that would happen once I saw the Lux news,” Turner confessed.

Dodger shortstops finished the month of April with a .511 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), 29th in MLB. Turner’s pedestrian .670 OPS looks outstanding in comparison. His clubhouse presence has been missed, too.

Freeman lauded Turner’s affability and self-deprecating sense of humor.

“Every plane flight, if there’s poker he’s playing,” Freeman said. “He’s hanging out with the guys. Team camaraderie things, he’s always in the middle of it. … He’s one of those guys, you see him and you want to be around him. He has that aura around him that it’s just fun, like a good time.”

ROJAS RETURNS

The Dodgers activated Rojas from the 10-day injured list. He takes the roster spot of catcher Austin Wynns, who was designated for assignment.

Rojas said the injury to his left hamstring was an unfortunate byproduct of the injury to his left groin; he believes wrapping the area too tightly in response to the groin injury led to the hamstring issue. In any event, Manager Dave Roberts said he will not lean too heavily on Rojas the rest of the season.

“There’s no one way to manage a roster, but typically the shortstop position is pretty consistent,” Roberts said. “Sometimes you concede the bat for the consistent defense; we just haven’t had that this year. … It’s not ideal. Whether it’s good or bad, I think time will tell.”

ALSO

Dustin May is officially penciled in to start Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Phillies, but the Dodgers are expected to push him back a day and give Gavin Stone the ball in his major league debut. … Designated hitter J.D. Martinez (back) is not expected to return from the injured list when he is eligible on Friday. The earliest he might return is the Dodgers’ three-game series in Milwaukee beginning next Monday.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (LHP Julio Urias, 3-3, 4.41 ERA) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (LHP Matt Strahm, 2-2, 2.31), Tuesday, 7 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market only), 570 AM

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