WASHINGTON — Justin Turner was down, but not out.
The Mets infielder survived a collision with left fielder Andrew Brown in the first inning of Friday night’s nightcap of a doubleheader, but with his shoulder and leg barking, was eventually removed for defensive purposes during the Mets’ 2-1 loss to the Nationals.
Turner, who was playing shortstop, collided with Brown while catching Denard Span’s pop-up in the first inning. Turner lay on the field motionless afterward and was examined by trainer Ray Ramirez, but continued until the seventh inning, when Omar Quintanilla replaced him at short.
“It’s almost like a charley horse in my shoulder and a charley horse in my leg,” Turner said. “It just gradually kept getting tighter and tighter and in a tie ballgame going later in the game, I talked to [manager] Terry [Collins] and he wanted to get Omar in there, especially for defensive purposes.”
Turner expects to be available Saturday.
* Daniel Murphy is on another crazy offensive tear.
The streaky second baseman continued his sizzling play of late with a combined 6-for-9 performance in Saturday’s doubleheader that included two homers and five RBI’s in the Mets’ 11-0 Game 1 win.
It gave Murphy at least one hit in 16 of his last 17 games. Over that stretch he is 28 for 73 (.384).
“The biggest thing is helping the team win,” Murphy said. “You look and see what David [Wright] has done all year and we’ve been kind of riding Marlon [Byrd’s] back. It’s nice to feel like you’re really to contribute as well, too.”
* Eric Young Jr. was a late scratch from the starting lineup in Game 1 of the doubleheader because of continued discomfort in his right knee. Young sustained the injury on Wednesday when he stepped on Braves pitcher Tim Hudson’s ankle at first base. Hudson sustained a fracture and will miss the rest of the season.
But Young said he expects to return to the Mets’ lineup today.
“At this point in the season there is no sense in trying to push it today when you can go ahead and give it one more day,” Young said. “It felt a lot better today. It’s just a matter of if I needed to explode or score that run from first base, could I give it that all out I’m capable of doing? Even with that question mark, there is no sense.”
* Juan Lagares started both games of the doubleheader against righty pitchers. Lagares went 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI in Game 1 and 1 for 5 in the nightcap. His platoon with Kirk Nieuwenhuis in center field could be over because Nieuwenhuis was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas after the second game.
“There’s no reason why [Lagares] shouldn’t be out there,” Collins said. “Today, when you do what he did with Jordan Zimmermann on the mound, it’s a tremendous day.”