Turner on call-up the big leagues: "It's what everyone plays for"

Straight out of Boynton Beach.

Straight out of Raleigh.

Straight out of Syracuse.

Trea Turner is here.

The Nationals summoned their top infield prospect today in shortstop Trea Turner. First baseman Tyler Moore was placed on the disabled list with a sprained left ankle. Also, right-hander Aaron Barrett was transferred to the 60-day disabled list with a right elbow sprain.

The 22-year-old Turner met with reporters for the first time at Nationals Park, just a couple of stalls away from Ian Desmond's locker. He described where he was when he got the thrilling news.

"Yesterday, I was actually sitting in a movie with some of my teammates from Triple-A and skip manager Billy Gardner Jr.) called me," Turner said. "I actually missed the first call or two because I didn't have his number saved in my phone. He called again, so I went and picked up. He let me know. I was pretty excited."

Turner described Gardner's call and how Gardner told the former N.C. State product where his next stop in his summer tour would be.

"He actually just asked me if I've ever been to Washington, D.C., before and let me know I was going back there because I had visited once when I was younger," Turner said. "We were watching the new movie 'Straight Outta Compton.' It was actually a very good movie, but it made it a little bit better getting that news."

Turner has put together an amazing season that began in the San Diego system. Part of a three-team, 11-player deal last December, Turner had to wait until June 14 to be delivered to the Nationals because he was a first-round selection in the 2014 draft.

He played for the Double-A San Antonio Missions and Harrisburg Senators and Syracuse this season, hitting a combined .322 in 116 games with 24 doubles, seven triples, eight homers, 29 stolen bases and 54 RBIs.

Turner was pretty down to earth in his response to his whirlwind summer to date.

"You can think whatever, but a lot of it is out of your control," Turner said. "I've always wanted this to happen - obviously, it's what everyone plays for. But I couldn't tell you what the possibilities were. I'm just excited to be getting the opportunity and I'm ready to approach it as best I can and take it head on.

"Just enjoy the game like I always have. If you try to take it as a job, it makes it a little bit harder. It makes the bad days a little bit rougher and the good days not so good. I just try to go out there and have fun, regardless of the result. The next day I go up there and try to take the same approach, no matter what happened the previous day. Just go out there with a new day and have fun as much as I can."

With Moore going down to a sprained ankle, general manager Mike Rizzo wanted to get another right-handed bat in the lineup.

"We felt Trea was going to be a September call-up anyways," Rizzo said. "We felt that maybe this is the time to inject a little more speed and youth and athleticism into the ballclub.

"He's a contact bat with a lot of speed. He can play both middle spots in the infield extremely well. We're going to find opportunities for him to use his skill set in the best way that we can."

Turner is not going to start, at least not right away. He is not in the starting lineup tonight in the opener against the Brewers. Turner said he has not been told what his specific role will be right now.

"So far, not too much," Turner said. "They just told me to get ready and kind of approach every game like I would anywhere else. I'm just trying to do whatever I can, whatever they need me to. If it's pinch-running, defense, it doesn't matter to me. If I get a start here and there, that's alright. Whatever they need me to. As of now, I don't know too much.

"I actually got here at 4 a.m. this morning. I got stuck in traffic last night driving here. But I'm glad I made it. The last 24 hours have been wild, obviously. Getting the news and having to tell my parents, which was obviously a great feeling. My girlfriend and all that. It's been wild, a dream come true and I'm just trying to enjoy every moment of it."

Turner said there will be a big contingent of people very special to him making their way to D.C. for the Milwaukee series. They may be spending some time here, too, since the Nationals begin a nine-game homestand tonight.

"I actually have a lot of people, a lot more than I thought," Turner said. "A lot of friends, college coach, parents, girlfriend, maybe some aunts and uncles. I'm not even sure right now, but a lot of people are coming. It makes me feel good because they're probably just as excited as I am and they've always wanted to experience this with me, so I'm glad they get the chance."

Turner has played almost exclusively at shortstop. What does he think of playing second base for now?

It's different," Turner said. "Everything is kind of opposite, obviously being on the opposite side of the ball. But I felt pretty comfortable in the two games I played there. I still need to work on it and get out there. That's what I'm probably going to do after I get done with this, get out there and get some reps, but I felt pretty comfortable. I've played it before in my life, but I definitely need to still get out there and work on it.

"I trust myself to do any of it - outfield, infield, whatever. You gotta have confidence in it and, like I said, you gotta prepare and get out there and make sure you're ready for the moment. I'll try to be out there and work on it as much as I can.

Manager Matt Williams said the Nationals had Turner work at second base today during early infield practice.

"We look at it and say, 'How can he be valuable to us in winning a game?' " Williams said. "Could be there, could be off the bench, could be stealing a base, could be getting a start. Nothing in stone for sure."

Williams said they want to put Turner in the game when there is a need.

"Depends on where we are at in games and how he can contribute to it," Williams said. "With T-Mo and his ankle, we're short on the bench anyway. So we had to get somebody here. Trea gives us a lot of options. Middle infield guy, has got speed. He's had a great year. Puts the bat on the baseball so there's lots of opportunities for him."

"We're not expecting him to be the savior of the offense or the savior of the ballclub," Rizzo said. "We just want him to do what he does his best, add his skill set to Matt Williams' arsenal of tools to win baseball games."