Dodgers: Dave Roberts Talks About Moving Struggling Justin Turner Down in Lineup
With the 2021 postseason on the horizon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has made another amendment to the batting lineup, this time moving his veteran third baseman Justin Turner to sixth in the order.
This is no indictment on Turner, who’s struggled over the last few weeks, rather, it’s about providing different looks and creating opportunities for his players according to Roberts.
In place of Turner in the five hole, will be slugging catcher Will Smith.
“I just want to give him a different look,” Roberts said of Turner. “I think that, obviously, he’s been grinding and hasn’t been getting the results.”
The Dodgers skipper sees a versatile lineup as a good thing for his club and feels that it can only benefit an already strong one through nine.
“It just continues to make a really good lineup, really good, I think, if guys are interchangeable,” Roberts said.
Roberts credited the 2021 All-Star for his reception to the lineup adjustment and his overall commitment to helping Los Angeles win games.
“I talked to Justin about it just to give him a heads up and it doesn’t bother him,” Roberts said. “He didn’t bat an eye. He’s just ready to help us win a ball game regardless of where he hits in the order.”
In the last 25 games, Turner is batting just .228 but fans should expect a full 180 come postseason time, which is generally when the 36-year old veteran thrives.
On the year, Turner is batting .274 with 82 RBIs and 25 homers.
NEXT: Max Scherzer to Start Game 163/Wild Card, LA’s Postseason Rotation Preview
JT’s unselfishness is just another reason why we are world champions. With the talent we have, that kind of attitude will win us another title. Last night was case in point. JT with two hits, AJ with a blast and a big play going back to the wall and then CT3 with scintillating defense in the 9th! Add Muncy with another big hit following that blast in Colorado that still hasn’t landed and we are one away from 100! Mookie, Trea and Seags, you guys set the tone, let’s get that title!
On the other hand, Dodgers offensive struggles continue. 4 runs against the worst team in baseball?
I wish we could move Dave Roberts down the line. Some of his coaching decisions look so much like Little League baseball and it is why we will not win the NL west.
Exactly, especially when we see manager’s son (Cody Bellinger) getting to play everyday and even batting cleanup despite having one of the worst batting averages on the team. Time to go, Doc (phd in stupidity)
Prior to the trade deadline, J Turner was batting over .300. Then idiot Roberts starts getting cute with the lineup; the results: J Turner dropping down to .260, Seager moved out of the #2 spot and went from .296 to .274, and Muncy moved out of the 4-spot to #2 and dropped 20 points as well!!
This is why the fool must go after this year, regardless of a World Series win.
Now, Seager is back at #2 and raking again. Muncy is back at #4 and mashed a couple HR’s. Turner might be settling in to #5, but that’s where T Turner should be. With Betts leading off and Seager and J Turner brining in that run, having T Turner bat #5 and having Smith and Pollock behind him would bring in another run. Spread that speed out with extra-base hitting guys behind them. Score every inning….
Robert’s makes his decisions on what He Hope’s will happen ,how long did he stick with Bellingers batting in 3-5 order ? Failure after Failure , Leave Turner where he is ! Robert’s messes too much with the lineup , He should go to a Physic and get the lineup he does not know how to manage a team whatsoever .
Simply unreal the ideas this guy come up with. He leaves the worst hitter in baseball high up in his batting order and makes this move. Further proof he should be managing in High A somewhere.
George, JT is ok batting 6th and said so. Where JT hits is not an issue. The issue will be if DRRR insists on putting Bellinger, a .159 hitter back in the lineup, thereby sitting Lux or Pollock or CT3 in order to further accommodate Bellinger.
Talk and spit…talk and spit…..Dave Roberts. He even makes Donny Baseball look good. There has to be someone else out there who needs a job for 2022. Let’s see how well Robert performs from here on out. When it really counts.
Bayside, now that’s a thought about how Roberts will manage in October that wakes me up in the middle of the night!
The Dodgers need to right a 22-year wrong; bring back Mike Scioscia!
At the same time hire Orel as pitching coach, Nomar and Shawn Greene as hitting coaches; Monday, Utley, and J. Hair as bench coaches. All-Star staff with tremendous insight and knowledge.
Typical DRRRRRRRRRRRRR’s, sits Pollock after he wins the game both offensively and defensively. Memories of Russ Martin, David freese…….Get some hits and start getting hot? Take a seat!!!!! I’ll put in my boy Bellinger to out do you all!!!!!!!! WTF is wrong with this guy? DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Well…tonight it did not matter where Turner, or any other Dodgers for that matter, was placed in the lineup. Kershaw’s game was off, batters painfully struggled to get hits against Gallen, and we certainly did not play our best defense to make things even worse. Unless a miracle happens in the 9th, I am prematurely counting tonight’s L and looking for a better outcome tomorrow.
Right now, the Rockies are unsurprisingly losing against the Giants, but I will hold onto the hope (against all hope) that the Rockies battle back. Sigh.
Kershaw and the Dodgers gave a great gift to the Gnats tonight. So much that the Gnats should give the Dodgers a Christmas card. It is official now, the Dodgers will not catch up. I place it solely on Roberts, those 2 games back-to-back losses against the Gnats @ Dodger Stadium has finally caught up with them and bit them back where the sun doesn’t shine.
MCP, why did he sit Pollock ?
Sorry JR,
DRRRRRRRR said they will go easy with Pollock but it’s too late now cause with just 7 games left Dodgers must settle for that one and done WC game and with this offense? And against the Cards? Dodger’s off season may begin on October 7th.
same old bull shiiiii w/ dr. IS NOT MANAGER MATERIAL. N.L.W. IS LOST. A.F. & STAN WHAT IN HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO? FOREGET DODGERS THIS YR. AND NEXT IF D.R.IS THE MANGER. AL OF BASEBALL IS HAPPY AS TO WHAT IS HAPPING TO D.R, WHICH IS NOTHING.i turned the t.v. last night @ 8;OO CLOCK, COULD NOT STAND TO SEE ANY MORE .