Major League Baseball will not discipline Justin Turner for returning to the field last week after the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series.
Turner was removed in the eighth inning of Los Angeles’ series clincher after the Dodgers were informed the third baseman had tested positive for COVID-19. He left isolation, along with his wife, during LA’s postgame celebration, though, and even appeared mask-less in on-field photos alongside teammates and other Dodgers staff members.
This prompted an MLB investigation, but commissioner Rob Manfred explained in a statement Friday why the league chose not to discipline Turner for his actions.
Turner also released a statement in which he explained the chaotic events that unfolded on Oct. 28. As did Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten.
The statements are below.
Turner, who will turn 36 this month, has spent the last seven seasons with the Dodgers, enduring several close championship calls before Los Angeles finally got over the hump to conclude the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. It’s understandable why he’d want to celebrate.
Still, it was somewhat startling to see Turner return to the field in wake of the positive test, especially given the emphasis MLB placed on adhering to coronavirus protocols throughout the unprecedented season.
