Justin Turner, the Red Sox’s new acquisition, left Monday’s spring training game after punching his face.
Turner was in the frame with two on and nobody out on a 2-1 count in the bottom of the first inning when Tigers pitcher Matt Manning lost control of a pitch.
“I’m sick to my stomach,” color commentator Will Middlebrooks said on NESN’s Red Sox show.
“You never, ever, ever want to see that, especially in a spring training game where a guy is trying to do his job and get ready for the season.”
Turner’s face was bloodied, but he walked off the field to a standing ovation from the crowd at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Fl.
Justin Turner left Monday’s Red Sox spring training game after being punched in the face by the Tigers’ Matt Manning.NESN
Justin Turner walked off the field under his own power.NESN
“Turner HBP was scary to watch. Hope he’s ok,” tweeted former Red Sox outfielder and current WEEI host and NESN color commentator Lou Merloni.
“Nothing annoys me more than seeing a hitter get hit in the head area, not saying Manning was trying. That’s how it ended for me…”.
Turner, 38, was waived by the Dodgers last offseason for a two-year contract worth $22 million with the Red Sox.
After joining the team, he talked about his excitement about playing with former Dodgers teammates Kike Hernandez, Kenley Jansen, Alex Verdugo and Chris Martin.
Justin Turner signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Red Sox last offseason.Getty Images
“He’s very familiar with a lot of my former teammates that I played with the Dodgers here, so there were a lot of conversations,” Turner said in December.
“And I’m very excited to be back at this club with what looks to be a really good group of guys and has the potential to do a lot of special things. And you know, the goal is to win a championship.”