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Nationals call up shortstop prospect Trea Turner

Trea Turner Nationals

In an attempt to halt their free fall from the playoff picture the Nationals have made an unexpected move, calling up 22-year-old shortstop prospect Trea Turner from Triple-A.

Turner was the Padres’ first-round draft pick in 2013 and came to the Nationals this offseason in the big three-team deal that also involved the Rays. Going into the season he ranked as a consensus top-100 prospect and he’s boosted his stock by hitting .322 with eight homers and an .828 OPS in 116 games between Double-A and Triple-A.

Turner has been a full-time shortstop in the minors, which is noteworthy because the Nationals have former All-Star Ian Desmond there. Desmond is an impending free agent having a bad season with a .227 batting average and .663 OPS in 116 games. However, twice this week the Nationals had Turner play second base at Triple-A, suggesting he could instead take the spot of Danny Espinosa.

Turner is one of the best shortstop prospects in baseball and a long-term building block, but it’ll be interesting to see where and how often he plays for the Nationals down the stretch.

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