The Las Vegas Hustlers will be minusStewart Turton for about 4 months after the second baseman suffered a broken hand while colliding with a player at a base in a recent game against the Charlotte Flyers. Turton and Hustlers skipper Edward Allen had been hoping the post-game examination would show less damage than originally thought.
This leaves a huge hole in the Hustlers' infield. They had signed Juan Luis Manuel to play shortstop, which allowed Turton to move back to second base (his best position). The injury weakens the Hustlers both defensively and offensively.
The spotlight now turns to the players that will have to try and fill Turton's spot while he's out. Eli Landgre was the primary starter last year, and defensively looks to be the best option. However, youngster Eugene Wolfe has been turning heads since his big September debut with the Hustlers last year. "We are excited to see what Eugene can do," said manager Allen. "It's also good to know we still have Eli. They'll both play."
GM Matt Rectenwald was not made available for comment, though insiders close to the Vegas boss seem to think that an outside signing may also be in play.
