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Law360 (November 6, 2020, 10:32 PM EST) -- Major League Baseball's investigation into Los Angeles Dodger Justin Turner's decision to return to the field after testing positive for COVID-19, in violation of the league's protocols, ended not with discipline but with Commissioner Rob Manfred "applauding" Turner for "accepting responsibility" on Friday.
Manfred said in a release Friday that he is closing the matter after the investigation helped to "put into context" the third baseman's decision to leave isolation and join his teammates on the field to celebrate their World Series victory last month.
"Mr. Turner's teammates actively encouraged him to leave the isolation room and return to the field for a photograph," Manfred explained in the release. "Many teammates felt they had already been exposed to Mr. Turner and were prepared to tolerate the additional risk."
Secondly, Manfred said, Turner thought he had permission from at least one Dodgers' employee to return to the field and, even if this belief resulted from a miscommunication, at least two team employees said nothing as he left isolation, which might have given him the impression that it was sanctioned.
"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," Manfred said. "Finally, Major League Baseball could have handled the situation more effectively."
For example, it should have assigned a security guard to monitor Turner when it told him to isolate, Manfred said, and it should have transported him from the ballpark to the hotel more quickly. Manfred noted that everyone has made mistakes during the pandemic-tinged season.
"I am closing this matter by applauding Justin for accepting responsibility, apologizing and making a commitment to set a positive example going forward," he said.
Turner was pulled from the Series' sixth game during the eighth inning after his coronavirus test came back positive. He was placed in isolation to avoid infecting anyone around him, MLB said, but after the Dodgers' victory, Turner returned to the field to celebrate with his team.
Photos and video from the celebration show Turner periodically taking off his face mask to take photos and hug his teammates.
Following the positive test result, Turner took to Twitter and said he has no symptoms and feels "great."
"Can't believe I couldn't be out there to celebrate with my guys," Turner wrote.
Shortly after he posted the tweet, however, Turner returned to the field and was carrying around the Commissioner's Trophy and taking photos with the team.
"I assumed by that point that few people were left on the field," Turner said in the Friday statement. "I was under the impression that team officials did not object to my returning to the field for a picture with my wife. However, what was intended to be a photo capturing the two of us turned into several greetings and photos where I briefly and unwisely removed my mask. In hindsight, I should have waited until the field was clear of others to take that photo with my wife."
--Editing by Jay Jackson Jr.
For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.
