Dodgers Dugout: Justin Turner Will Answer Your Questions

Hi, and invited to different version of Dodgers Dugout. My sanction is Houston Mitchell and I’m wondering why nary 1 ever talks astir Roy Hobbs arsenic one of nan all-time greats. It’s for illustration he didn’t moreover exist.

The adjacent portion of our “Ask ...” bid is here, and it’s a large one. Former Dodgers 3rd baseman Justin Turner, now playing for nan Tijuana Toros successful nan Mexican League, has agreed to reply selected questions from Dodgers Dugout readers.

Do I really request to punctual you of who Turner is and his feats arsenic a Dodger? I don’t deliberation so. He is 1 of nan astir beloved Dodgers successful caller times.

Turner agreed to reply questions from readers of this newsletter. Please nonstop maine an email pinch your mobility to houston.mitchell@latimes.com. Please make judge nan taxable statement sounds Ask Justin Turner. I will prime immoderate questions for him to answer. His answers will look successful a early newsletter. You person until Sunday astatine 6 p.m. to nonstop successful your question.

Ohtani is simply a decent player

It appears reports of Shohei Ohtani‘s demise were greatly exaggerated.

On April 24 against nan Chicago Cubs, he went 0 for 3, striking retired each 3 times. His batting splits (batting average/OB%/SLG%) dropped to .237/.361/.433), his worst numbers successful a fewer seasons. Stories started to look everyplace that pitching and hitting is excessively overmuch for him. The Dodgers needed to springiness him a batch much days off, or, person him extremity pitching altogether, since nary 1 tin do what he is trying.

Ohtani heard each of that, I’m guessing, and utilized it to stoke his competitiveness.

His numbers since April 24:

Hitting: .344/.461/.576. He’s now hitting .301/.420/.521 this season. Last play he deed .282/.392/.622. His powerfulness is down, but powerfulness is down crossed nan fields this season. At existent projections, location will beryllium 400 less location runs this season.

On nan mound since April 24, Ohtani is 4-2 pinch an 0.97 ERA.

Will he go nan first personification to triumph MVP and Cy Young successful nan aforesaid season? Well, connected Wednesday, MLB.com announced nan results of a study of 35 experts, asking them to ballot arsenic if nan play ended that day. Here are nan results:

NL MVP
1. Ohtani
2. James Wood, Nationals
3. Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks

They didn’t do voting for Cy Young, but astir places person Ohtani 3rd correct now, down Cristopher Sánchez of nan Phillies and Jacob Misiorowski of nan Brewers.

Comparison

The Dodgers person played 63 games this play and are 40-23. How do they comparison to past season’s squad astatine nan aforesaid constituent successful nan season?

Record
2026: 40-23
2025: 38-25

Runs per game
2026: 5.24
2025: 5.69

Batting average
2026: .264
2025: .265

OB%
2026: .343
2025: .341

SLG%
2026: .443
2025: .466

Doubles
2026: 108
2025: 106

Triples
2026: 7
2025: 9

Home Runs
2026: 85
2025: 101

Walks
2026: 249
2025: 234

Batter Strikeouts
2026: 483
2025: 515

Grounded into double play
2026: 56
2025: 47

Left connected base
2026: 438
2025: 416

Stolen bases
2026: 27
2025: 40

ERA
2026: 3.08
2025: 4.12

Starters’ ERA
2026: 2.96
2025: 3.69

Relief ERA
2026: 3.31
2025: 4.27

Hits per 9 IP
2026: 6.87
2025: 8.09

Walks per 9 IP
2026: 2.79
2025: 3.54

K’s per 9 IP
2026: 8.99
2025: 9.13

IRS%
2026: 26.8%
2025: 23.4%

Don’t beryllium for illustration these people

I’m judge immoderate readers get irritated erstwhile during my semi-annual reminder that it’s only a game, and if you are angry 5 minutes aft a crippled is over, possibly you should find a caller hobby.

But location was a reminder past week arsenic to why it is truthful basal to support it successful mind. The world is simply a overmuch angrier spot now than erstwhile I was younger (uh oh, aged man rant). I blasted societal media. Everyone tin find their ain echo enclosure of group who work together pinch them and ne'er person to spot an opposing opinion. And erstwhile they do, they can’t grip it (generally speaking, of course).

And nan anonymity of societal media gives group mendacious bravado, causing them to opportunity things they ne'er would successful person. Such was nan lawsuit Saturday, aft Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott had his first blown prevention successful what has been a bully play for him.

The adjacent time his wife, Maddie, shared immoderate messages nan Scott family received connected societal media. One of them was, ““Hope this mutt d one e s soon,” connected a photograph of nan Scott’s kid connected Instagram. And that was nan astir tame of nan messages. All because Tanner Scott blew a prevention and nan Dodgers lost.

Disturbing? That doesn’t statesman to picture it. While I’m judge nary of nan Dodgers Dugout readers are this depraved, it serves arsenic a reminder that these group are quality beings trying their best. Be captious of their capacity erstwhile warranted. But don’t get angry. You should spot immoderate of nan emails I get aft nan Dodgers suffer 2 successful a row. Some group are conscionable beyond furious, calling players names, etc.

“I don’t speak retired often. Ever actually,” Maddie Scott wrote complete a screenshot of nan hatred she received. “I committedness you, you don’t cognize what it’s for illustration unless you’re surviving it. When did it extremity being a game?”

Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. received decease threats aft a nonaccomplishment past season, telling reporters, “I understand group are very passionate and group emotion nan Astros and emotion sports, but threatening to find my kids and execution them is simply a small spot reliable to woody pinch conscionable arsenic a father, I think. So conscionable arsenic a father, I deliberation location person been many, galore threats complete nan years aimed astatine me. But I deliberation bringing kids into nan equation, threatening to find them aliases adjacent clip they spot america successful nationalist they’re going to stab my kids to death, things for illustration that, it’s reliable to perceive arsenic a dad,” McCullers said, successful nan understatement of nan year.

I recognize nan stupid group doing this are a small, mini percent of immoderate team’s instrumentality base. But, don’t springiness successful to nan anger erstwhile nan Dodgers lose. Be disappointed, sure. But conscionable think, if nan worst point successful your time is that nan Dodgers lost, past you’ve had a beautiful bully day.

Scott sewage nan nonaccomplishment Thursday erstwhile he gave up a walk-off homer. Disappointing? Sure. Ruin nan remainder of your night? I dream not.

It’s All-Star time

Time to ballot for who you deliberation should commencement successful this year’s All-Star game. You tin click present to vote. I still miss nan days astatine Dodger Stadium erstwhile ushers (wearing their straw hats) would manus group stacks of ballots. Some ushers moreover had ballots pinch nan Dodgers already selected for you.

Up next

Friday: Angels (*Reid Detmers, 2-5, 4.63 ERA) astatine Dodgers (Roki Sasaki, 3-3, 4.59 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KTTV, AM 570, KLAA 830, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Angels (Jack Kochanowicz, 2-4, 5.23 ERA) astatine Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 5-4, 2.86 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KCOP 13, AM 570, KLAA 830, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Angels (José Soriano, 6-4, 2.72 ERA) astatine Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan, 3-2, 4.50 ERA), 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, KCOP 13, AM 570, KLAA 830, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In lawsuit you missed it

Shaikin: MLB’s chaotic pitch: Using fan-despised TV blackouts arsenic leverage against players

Dodgers pitcher Tanner Scott’s woman reveals decease threats she received astir their child

Plaschke: Ryan Ward becomes an improbable prima successful memorable Dodger Stadium debut

And finally

Justin Turner‘s walk-off homer against nan Cubs successful Game 2 of nan 2017 NLCS. Watch and perceive here.

Until adjacent clip ...

Have a remark aliases thing you’d for illustration to spot successful a early Dodgers newsletter? Email maine astatine houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter successful your inbox, click here.