Boston Red Sox Player Justin Turner Hit in the Face by Pitch, Needs 16 Stitches

By Brian Jones

Justin Turner had to get 16 stitches after being struck in the face during a spring training game on Monday, according to ESPN. The Boston Red Sox player fell to the ground after getting hit by Detroit Tigers pitcher Matt Manning. Medical personnel attended to Turner, who was bleeding and had a towel on his face as he left the field. He was taken to a hospital in Fort Meyers, Florida, as he suffered soft tissue injuries. 

Turner's wife, Kourtney, said on her Instagram story that her husband had "16 stitches and a lot of swelling but we are thanking God for no fractures [and] clear scans." She went on to say, "Thank you to everyone that reached out about Justin and sent prayers. We're home now and he's resting (okay – maybe listening to the replay of the game)."

Shortly after the incident, the Red Sox released a statement that said Turner is "receiving treatment for soft tissue injuries, and is being monitored for a concussion. He will undergo further testing and we'll update as we have more information. Justin is stable, alert and in good spirits given the circumstances." 

"Anything that is above the shoulders, it's always scary," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, per MLB.com. "So you hear [it], you go and you just react. There was a lot of blood there. So it was just like, 'Let's get everybody there and try to help him out.' He was coherent."  

Red Sox player Triston Casas admitted to being shaken after seeing Turner get hit. "Yeah, I was distraught for like, the first two innings honestly," Casas said. "As a baseball player, that's your biggest fear, for sure, running into a pitch like that coming up and in. It's a scary sight. And, it was like, hard drop, just like a pit-in-my-stomach feeling."

Turner, 38, signed a contract with the Red Sox last year after spending the last nine years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During his time in Los Angeles, Turner was selected to the All-Star team twice and led the team to a World Series title in 2020. He's coming off a 2022 season where he hit .278 with 13 home runs and 81 RBIs. The Red Sox signed Turner to be the team's designated hitter while playing some first base. 

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