Sat, Feb 13, 2021
AP Sports
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Justin Turner is returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers, announcing via Twitter on Saturday night that he's ready to "run it back" with the World Series champions.
The 36-year-old third baseman batted .307 with four homers, 23 RBIs and an .860 OPS during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
He hit .320 with two homers during the World Series before being pulled from the deciding Game 6 after testing positive for the coronavirus. He infamously returned to the field after the final out and removed his mask near teammates during the celebration.
A late-bloomer after overhauling his swing in his late 20s, Turner has been an anchor in the Dodgers' lineup for most of their eight straight NL West titles. The red-headed slugger hit .302 with 116 homers over seven seasons in Los Angeles.
The Dodgers are set to bring back essentially the same team that won the 2020 title - along with NL Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer, who signed a $102 million, three-year deal with Los Angeles this week. Adding Bauer and returning Turner gave the Dodgers a splashy finish to an otherwise quiet offseason, cementing the champs as a threat to repeat just days before pitchers and catchers are set to report for spring training.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/Jake_Seiner
Latest MLB News