Justin Turner back in Dodgers’ lineup, at third base

Justin Turner is back in the Dodgers lineup Wednesday night after missing Tuesday’s game with left hamstring discomfort, playing in his first game at third base in nearly four weeks.

Tuesday’s original lineup featured Turner starting at third base, which would have been his first game at the position since Aug. 28. But after feeling a cramp in his left hamstring, the same one that sidelined him for 14 games on the injured list, Turner was scratched.

“I talked to Justin briefly a few minutes ago, and he says he wants to be in there,” manager Dave Roberts said after Tuesday’s game. “I’ll see how his hamstring responds tomorrow to see if he’s in there. But you know, when a player says he wants to be in there, that’s a good thing.”

Turner was activated from the injured list on Sept. 15 in San Diego, and he was 7-for-18 (.389/.476/.444) with a double and three walks in five games, giving him 26 consecutive games reaching base, the longest active streak in the majors.

All five of those games were at designated hitter, a position the Dodgers have used as a rotating spot to provide rest throughout the season. Ten different players have started at DH this year. Roberts said Tuesday night that keeping Turner at DH was a fallback option, but not the plan.

“Ultimately if that’s what it comes to, certainly we’ll take his bat, but I think the goal is to get them out there playing defense for us,” Roberts said.

The plan Wednesday is the same as the original Tuesday plan, which is to have Turner play five or six innings in the field, potentially get three at-bats, then have Edwin Ríos finish the game at third base.