Justin Turner should be back next week, but he says he’s not a savior

Justin Turner is expected to make his season debut next weekend in Washington, eight weeks after his left wrist was broken by a wayward fastball.

In his absence, the Dodgers have tumbled down the standings in the National League West, closer to last place than first. As the Dodgers prepare to welcome back their All-Star third baseman and offensive leader, Turner cautions fans that he is not a season savior.

“I don’t think any one guy coming back is going to flip a magic switch and make us win,” he said.

Turner played in the first of two scheduled simulated games Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, wearing a “Kenleyfornia Love” T-shirt. He is expected to go on a brief minor league rehabilitation assignment, but manager Dave Roberts said he would trust Turner to decide how long that assignment should last. Roberts said Turner could help at the major league level even as he rounds into top form.

“Once he’s in our lineup, there’s a presence there,” Roberts said, “defensively and in the batter’s box.”

Turner said his greatest concern with his wrist is neither hitting nor fielding.

“It might sound weird, but probably sliding,” Turner said. “I slide with my left hand down. Sometimes I put my hand in the ground. … I’m going to have to make a concentrated effort to make sure I don’t stick my hand in the ground and jam up my wrist.”

The Dodgers, in pursuit of their sixth consecutive NL West title, activated outfielder Yasiel Puig on Wednesday. By the time they play their next homestand, they also could get Turner, pitcher Clayton Kershaw and infielder Logan Forsythe back from the disabled list.

“We’re not going to have [shortstop] Corey [Seager] for the rest of the year, so we’re never going to be completely whole from the team we hoped to have,” Turner said. “Hopefully, we get everyone out there and things start clicking.”

Turner alone cannot turn the season around, according to Turner.

“I understand that it doesn’t work like that,” he said. “One guy is not going to make a difference. It’s about 25 guys contributing. That’s why we were so good last year.”

Kemp leads league

In 1963, the second season of Dodger Stadium, Tommy Davis batted .326. He led the NL in batting average, and no Dodger has won a batting title in the 55 years since then.

But look who leads the league now: outfielder Matt Kemp, who was acquired in a mutual salary dump and who made the team only when the Dodgers could not orchestrate another salary dump.

Kemp entered play Wednesday batting .353. He said a batting title was not on his mind.

“It’s too early,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

His career-best average is .342, for the Dodgers in 2007, although Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies won the batting title at .340 because Kemp did not have enough plate appearances to qualify.

Short hops

Kershaw played catch Wednesday, three days after the Dodgers put him on the disabled list because of biceps tendinitis. Roberts said it was too soon to say whether Kershaw might be able to return after the minimum 10 days on the DL. … The Dodgers put reliever Tony Cingrani on the disabled list because of what they listed as left shoulder inflammation and what Roberts called “a little bit of a dead arm.” The team also recalled relievers Scott Alexander and Brock Stewart from triple-A Oklahoma City and returned reliever Yimi Garcia and outfielder Alex Verdugo to Oklahoma City. ... The Dodgers are offering $5 tickets for all remaining home games, starting Friday. The Dodgers will sell 88 such tickets per game, all on the field level. Details: dodgers.com/88 … The Dodgers announced they would sell $1 Dodger Dogs during the May 21 game against the Colorado Rockies. “After 6 long years, the wait is finally over,” read an email sent to fans. The last $1 Dodger Dog night was in 2012, the last year the Dodgers did not make the playoffs.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

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