LDN - Sports

MLB notebook: Dodgers' Turner (wrist) won't need surgery

[March 21, 2018] A visit to a hand specialist on Tuesday confirmed Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner won't need surgery on his injured left wrist, manager Dave Roberts told reporters.

Turner sustained a small non-displaced fracture of his left wrist Monday when hit by a pitch in the first inning of a spring game against the Oakland Athletics. He told MLB.com that his wrist will be in a brace for few days before he can begin range-of-motion exercises.

"Good news," Turner said of avoiding surgery.

A timetable for Turner's return has yet to be determined, though he is expected to miss multiple weeks and begin the regular season on the disabled list. With Turner out, Roberts said he might move second baseman Logan Forsythe to the hot corner and have Chase Utley and Enrique Hernandez platoon at second. General manager Farhan Zaidi said he isn't looking to make any outside additions.

--The Baltimore Orioles are nearing a deal with free-agent right-hander Alex Cobb, according to multiple reports.

The contract reportedly would be in the neighborhood of $50 million-$60 million over four seasons.

The 30-year-old Cobb established a career-best for victories when he went 12-10 with a 3.66 ERA for the Tampa Bay Rays last season. He has won 10 or more games on four occasions while going 48-35 with a 3.50 ERA in 115 career starts. He has spent his entire career with Tampa Bay, first reaching the majors in 2011.

--The Washington Nationals optioned top outfield prospect Victor Robles to Triple-A Syracuse.

The move ensures that Robles won't be on the Nats' Opening Day roster and will instead continue to get consistent at-bats in the minors until he is recalled. The 20-year-old made his major league debut in September last season and was even named to Washington's National League Division Series roster, seeing plate appearances off the bench in two postseason games.

Widely considered a top-10 prospect across baseball, Robles has struggled with the Nationals this spring, hitting .188 with 12 strikeouts in 48 at-bats across 21 games.

--The Toronto Blue Jays selected left-hander J.A. Happ to be their Opening Day starter against the New York Yankees on March 29.

The 35-year-old Happ will be starting a season opener for the first time in his 12-year career.

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"He's just a reliable guy," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told reporters of the reasoning for choosing Happ. "He's going to go out there, and nine times out of 10, he's going to give you a chance to win. That's all you can ask for. He's really turned into a good workhorse for us."

--The Athletics agreed to a minor league deal with veteran left-hander Brett Anderson, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle.

The deal would bring Anderson back to the team he began his once-promising major league career with. Nothing has been finalized, but Anderson has changed his Twitter profile to read "I throw baseballs for the A's again."

The 30-year-old Anderson made 13 total starts last season for the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays. He posted a 6.34 ERA and spent time on the disabled list with a back injury, one of many ailments that have ravaged his nine-year career.

--The Arizona Diamondbacks announced a series of roster moves, including the release of veteran left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo.

Bastardo joined the D-backs on a minor league contract in January. The 32-year-old appeared in only nine games with the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, allowing 15 runs in nine innings, as he spent a good deal of time on the disabled list because of a quad injury. The Pirates released him last July after he cleared waivers.

The southpaw had a 3.18 ERA and nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings for Arizona this spring.

--Former major league outfielder Milton Bradley was charged with misdemeanor battery on Tuesday stemming from an incident in January, TMZ reported.

Bradley allegedly attacked his wife at his Los Angeles home and fled the scene before police arrived. He could face up to one year in jail if convicted.

The troubled Bradley previously spent 15 months in jail for assaulting a previous wife in 2013. He was released from prison in August 2016 for that incident.

--Field Level Media

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