Major League Baseball said Wednesday it has opened an investigation into Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner after he willfully exposed numerous others to the coronavirus Tuesday night, including his teammates.
Turner was pulled from the team lineup during the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s World Series-winning game after testing positive for the virus, and was placed in isolation.
Despite the positive test, Turner later returned to the field to celebrate the Los Angeles Dodgers’ win. Photos and video show Turner removing his mask and smiling while he’s surrounded by teammates.
The league said Turner “emphatically refused to comply” when MLB security asked him to leave the field.
“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,” the league said in a statement.
“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.”
In a follow-up tweet after the game, Turner seemed to show little awareness of the threat he posed to his teammates by retaking the field.
“Thanks to everyone reaching out!” he wrote. “I feel great, no symptoms at all.”
People carrying the virus can still transmit it to others even if they don’t have any symptoms of COVID-19.