The Washington Nationals appear to have a star in the making with infielder Trea Turner, and manager Dusty Baker says the 23-year-old should get even better when he beefs up a bit.
Turner, who is generously listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, is hitting .340 since he was called up from Double-A in June. He has 11 multi-hit games in the month of August and 10 hits over his last three games. At one point, he had a stretch where he had eight hits in eight plate appearances. Baker likes what he sees, even if the kid has a boney butt.
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“He’s wiry strong. That ball he hit down the line, that’s a big man’s swing right there,” Baker said. “He’s stronger than he appears, and he’s gonna get stronger yet when he gets his man muscles or man bones. The other day I tapped him on the butt and I was like, ‘Man, you’re hard as a rock.’ He goes, ‘I should be. It’s all bones.'”
That’s exactly the assessment we’d expect from the guy who once made this entertaining remark about his best player.
Even without his “man muscles,” Turner is helping the Nationals build upon their lead in the NL East. If he can keep this up, Washington will be even more dangerous in the postseason.
