It is possible Turner could face a suspension for breaking isolation after testing positivegetty images
MLB and the MLBPA are investigating Justin Turner's return to the field after World Series Game 6, with the league saying 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 Sheinin & Dougherty of the WASHINGTON POST. Both the Dodgers and Rays were tested again yesterday before traveling home, although a source said there were a "few exceptions with the Dodgers." Sheinin & Dougherty write it is "unclear how far the actions" of MLB security personnel went -- or "whether they even had authority to detain Turner." A source said that MLB was "acting as if the 2020 safety protocols were still in place" during the Dodgers' celebrations. One question "yet to be answered" is "what would have happened had the Rays come back in Tuesday night’s late innings and forced a Game 7." A source said that officials "would have consulted medical advisers, as they did all season, and a postponement would have been in play" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/29). The MLBPA said that it was "also gathering facts about the incident but had no further comment" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/29).
EXPECTED PENALTIES: ESPN’s Buster Olney said of potential punishment for Turner, "Justin Turner may well face suspension. Baseball wants to look into what his actions were after he was told that he tested positive. When did he leave isolation? They want to ask questions about whether or not some Dodgers’ personnel were involved in facilitating him and his movements. Baseball, by the time they got to the finish line of the World Series, they were really proud of the fact that they were able to put on a 60-game season and get through the playoffs." MLB is "furious about the fact that the last images of baseball in 2020 are with a player who just tested positive for coronavirus potentially putting other players, other employees at risk. They are going to come down with a hammer of some kind” (“Get Up,” ESPN, 10/29).
MORE FALLOUT TO COME: In L.A., Helene Elliott writes the "ripple effects" of Turner's positive test "have only just begun to be measured." If the Rays had forced a Game 7, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred "would have faced the possibility of delaying his sport’s showcase event while following health protocols and assessing whether Turner had infected others around him" (L.A. TIMES, 10/29). Also in L.A., Bill Plaschke writes of Turner, "One of the greatest team accomplishments in the history of Los Angeles sports has been marred by a singular act of selfishness." Plaschke: "What should have been a triumphant Los Angeles moment has been shaded in shame. What should have been a moment of elation has been transformed into a portrait of edginess" (L.A. TIMES, 10/29).
