Boston Red Sox Veteran Justin Turner to Miss 2nd Straight Game Due to Heel Injury

Justin Turner has been unable to remain in the Red Sox's lineup this month, but the 38-year-old designated hitter hasn't hit the injured list yet.

Designated hitter Justin Turner is once again out of the Boston Red Sox's lineup against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

Turner will be missing his second game in a row, and that is after he already missed Boston's first three games of August against the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays. The 38-year-old third baseman-turned-designated hitter has been dealing with a heel bruise for over a week now, but MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported that a stint on the injured list is not currently on the table.

Trevor Story, who made his season debut at shortstop on Tuesday night, will slot in at designated hitter with Turner out. New fan-favorite Pablo Reyes will slide into Story's position at shortstop.

Through 105 games this season, Turner is batting .284 with 17 home runs, 25 doubles, 71 RBI and an .826 OPS. Turner ranks fourth among Red Sox position players this season with a 1.9 WAR, only trailing outfielder Alex Verdugo, third baseman Rafael Devers and outfielder Jarren Duran.

Turner signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Red Sox in the offseason, although the contract includes a $13.4 million player option and $6.7 million buyout for 2024.

The two-time All-Star and nine-year Los Angeles Dodgers veteran helped Boston post the best record in the American League from June 14 to July 28 at 23-12. Right in the middle of that run, Turner strung together a 15-game hitting streak, which was the longest in baseball at the time.

However, the Red Sox are a league-worst 2-8 since July 29, nearly dropping out of the AL Wild Card race in the process. Boston went 0-5 in the five games Turner played from July 29 to Aug. 6, despite the veteran hitting .316 with an .876 OPS during that stretch.

The Red Sox will be without Turner for at least one more game Wednesday against the Royals, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. The series finale between Boston and Kansas City is scheduled for Thursday at 7:10 p.m., while the Detroit Tigers are next up on the docket for the Red Sox from Friday to Sunday.

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