Five with Dodgers test positive
Five members of the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and a family member have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
The disclosure came about a week and a half after Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was notified during Game 6 of the World Series that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
It is unclear if Turner or any other players are among the five people. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, most of the people who tested positive were outside the so-called bubble at the World Series in Arlington, Texas. The person requested anonymity because of privacy issues.
The outbreak includes an additional family member, according to the agency data.
The Los Angeles Department of Public Heath did not identify any of the five people with the Dodgers on the agency’s website. Major League Baseball said it was unaware of the positive test results.
After being pulled from the game in the eighth inning of the World Series on Oct. 27, Turner returned to the field after the Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays to clinch their first World Series title in 32 years. Turner’s on-field appearance sparked controversy, as he took off his mask during the celebration.
Turner will not be suspended, fined or disciplined for leaving his isolated room after he’d been told he had COVID-19.
“First, Mr. Turner’s teammates actively encouraged him to leave the isolation room and return to the field for a photograph. Many teammates felt they had already been exposed to Mr. Turner and were prepared to tolerate the additional risk,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
“Second, Mr. Turner believes that he received permission from at least one Dodgers’ employee to return to the field to participate in a photograph. Although Mr. Turner’s belief may have been the product of a miscommunication, at least two Dodgers’ employees said nothing to Mr. Turner as he made his way to the field, which they admitted may have created the impression that his conduct was acceptable.
“Third, during the somewhat chaotic situation on the field, Mr. Turner was incorrectly told by an unidentified person that other players had tested positive, creating the impression in Mr. Turner’s mind that he was being singled out for isolation.”