Turner tests positive Dodgers third baseman is pulled from the game with two innings left.

Third baseman removed from game with two innings left; celebrated on field.

With the Dodgers two innings from the World Series championship, the team removed third baseman Justin Turner from the game, for no apparent reason.

The explanation came after the game: Turner had tested positive for the coronavirus.

“We learned during the game,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said. “He was immediately isolated to prevent spread.”

Not long after, Turner said on Twitter that he felt “great” and had “no symptoms at all.” Said Turner: “Just experienced every emotion you can possibly imagine. Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys!”

However, as manager Dave Roberts acknowledged in an interview on FS1, Turner did participate brief ly in the on- f ield celebration, and in the team picture commemorating the championship.

Players were tested daily inside the postseason bubble, and no major leaguer had tested positive during that time. In the early innings of Tuesday’s game, league officials learned that Turner’s test from Monday had turned up inconclusive.

Inconclusive tests are not uncommon. However, because the Dodgers already had been tested Tuesday, the league ordered that the result of Turner’s test be expedited. Individual test results can be obtained more quickly than the results for an entire team.

As soon as the league learned that Turner tested positive on Tuesday, the Dodgers were ordered to remove him immediately.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was asked why Turner went onto the f ield during the team’s postgame celebration.

“I think for him, being a free agent, not knowing exactly how the future is gonna play out, I don’t think anyone was gonna stop him from going [ onto the field],” Friedman said. “From my perspective, I think he was mindful of other people.

“This is something we’re gonna wrap our arms around tonight and in the morning and f igure out where we’re going from here. It was a really unfortunate end point of this incredible series and definitely affected some of the joy from winning because of how much JT has meant to us and him not being able to be on the field for that f inal out, with everything he’s done for this organization.

“We’re gonna all take tests and figure out what the results are from that and go from there.”