Dodgers' Justin Turner Under Fire For Refusing To Quarantine

LOS ANGELES, CA — A pall was cast over Los Angeles' World Series celebration Tuesday as Major League Baseball lashed out at Dodger third baseman Justin Turner for taking the field to celebrate with his teammates knowing he was infected with the coronavirus.

Turner, a fan favorite, had been pulled from the championship game with just a couple innings left after the results of his daily COVID-19 virus test came back positive.

On the defensive after footage from the postgame celebration showed a maskless Turner hugging teammates and kissing family members, the league put the blame squarely on Turner Tuesday.

Turner has been a postseason star for the Dodgers over the last several years. But his contract is up this year, and he may not return, making this year's championship all the more sweet for him and his fans. Just last year, Los Angeles declared Jan. 22 Justin Turner Day.

See Also:

• Happy Justin Turner Day, Los Angeles!
• Dodgers Win World Series, Ending 32-Year Drought

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According to a statement issued by the league, Turner was placed into isolation during Tuesday night's game in Texas "for the safety of those around him," but he adamantly refused to remain quarantined, defying security officers and celebrating on the field.

"However, following the Dodgers' victory, it is clear that Turner chose to disregard the agreed-upon joint protocols and the instructions he was given regarding the safety and protection of others," according to MLB. "While a desire to celebrate is understandable, Turner's decision to leave isolation and enter the field was wrong and put everyone he came in contact with at risk. When MLB Security raised the matter of being on the field with Turner, he emphatically refused to comply."

The team photo as World Series champs shows Turner sitting between manager Dave Roberts and Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of operations. They were all photographed without wearing masks. Several media shots from the evening feature Turner and his teammates hugging.

Most of Turner's teammates then took a United Airlines flight into Los Angeles International Wednesday evening. The league initially said that the team's return to their respective homes would need to be "approved by the appropriate authorities." ABC7 reported that Turner was not with the team and would fly home separately on a charter flight.

It was unclear if the team would be required to quarantine due to possible exposure to the virus.

According to the league, additional COVID-19 tests were performed Tuesday night on the Dodgers, and both the Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays were tested again Wednesday morning.

In a statement to City News Service, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the agency "is working closely with the Dodger organization to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to prevent additional exposures and provided direction on the required quarantine of players and staff that are close contacts."

DPH officials said they "join everyone in wishing the Dodger player who tested positive for COVID-19 a fast and complete recovery."

"As with all other cases of COVID-19, isolation and quarantine are essential for reducing further spread," according to the agency. "Public health protocols state that a person who tests positive for COVID-19, even if they do not display symptoms, must isolate for 10 days and must be symptom- and fever-free for 24 hours before they can resume contact with any other people. Additionally, anyone who has been a close contact of a person who has tested positive for the virus for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period must quarantine for 14 days."

“Exposure on the field is different from a World Series celebration, too,” Catherine Troisi, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health in Houston, told the New York Times. “When they’re in closer proximity, yelling and hugging, they are more likely to transmit the virus.”

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday anyone potentially exposed to the virus needs to quarantine, no matter who they are.

Turner's "diagnosis is a reminder that anybody can get this and anybody can pass this on, too, so it's a reminder of how safe we all need to be, with every action we take and everything we do," Garcetti said. "I'll leave it to the county, but I think the county has said ... that because there may have been exposure, folks should isolate. That's whether you're a championship baseball player, whether you're the mayor or whether you're an everyday citizen. No matter who you are, I think that is the prudent thing to do."

The MLB Commissioner's Office has begun a "full investigation into this matter."

Turner joined the championship celebration on the field at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, including holding the Commissioner's Trophy, kissing his wife, Kourtney, and sitting next to manager Dave Roberts for a team picture, all without a mask.

Turner has been with the Dodgers since 2014 and is a free agent. He will turn 36 on Nov. 23.

After the game, Turner tweeted, "Thanks to everyone reaching out! I feel great, no symptoms at all. Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine. Can't believe I couldn't be out there to celebrate with my guys! So proud of this team & unbelievably happy for the City of LA. #WorldSeriesChamps."

Asked on Tuesday night about Turner's presence on the field despite a positive coronavirus test, Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said, "From his standpoint, him having a chance to take a picture with the trophy was incredibly meaningful to him. It's hard for me to say specifically about the on-field because I didn't see everything that happened or didn't."

He added, "Subsequent tests we're going to take are really important to figure out what we do and to make sure that any of us that are potentially positive don't spread it to other people. Obviously, from our standpoint, that contact tracing (figuring) out who's been around him and the tests are all going to be incredibly important from this point forward. Before we are to interact with other people I think it is important for us all to clear the requisite testing hurdles before we do that."

Turner was removed from the game before the start of the eighth inning, then was "quarantined in a doctor's office off to the side," Friedman said.

Ken Rosenthal, a reporter on Fox's Major League Baseball telecasts, tweeted that the result from a coronavirus test Turner took Monday came back in the second inning.

Turner's test from Tuesday "was then expedited, and when it came back positive, he was removed from the game," Rosenthal tweeted.

The team issued a statement Wednesday that did not mention Turner or his positive test, but acknowledged that health protocols banning large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic will eliminate any chance of a victory parade.

"This season was everything we believed it could be. It was just missing one thing: the best fans in baseball," according to the team. "While the wait for a World Championship is finally over, a celebration worthy of our great fans and the city of Los Angeles will unfortunately have to wait until it is safe to do so. We can't wait to celebrate together."

Lakers all-star LeBron James — who was also denied a victory parade following the team's NBA championship earlier this month — made a plea on his Twitter account Tuesday night for some type of celebration.

"Man can we PLEASE have a parade!!!," he wrote. "I know I know we can't but DAMN I wanna celebrate with our Lakers and Dodgers fans!!! LA is the city of CHAMPIONS."

Garcetti responded on his own account, saying, "Let's talk, I'm down for anything safe."

Speaking at a briefing Wednesday night, Garcetti said he's committed to eventually having some type of celebration.

"All that's missing is our chance to celebrate together," he said. "And I promise when it is safe to do so, we will honor our champions in a way that only Los Angeles can."

He didn't offer any specifics, but he told the Los Angeles Times Tuesday night the teams could perhaps gather at the Griffith Observatory so they can "preside over the town as champions."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.