During the eighth inning in Game 6 of the World Series and also the Los Angeles' title-clinching victory on Tuesday night, Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was removed from the field as it was announced after the game that he tested positive with the COVID-19.
Turner's diagnosis was the first positive COVID-19 case in the MLB playoffs.
According to a report from CBS, Turner had a test from Monday come back inconclusive in the second inning, but once the laboratory was able to complete the tests that they ran from Tuesday, the MLB organization was informed that Turner tested positive.
The Dodgers were immediately advised that Turner needs to come out of the game.
The Dodgers snatched their first World Series title after more than three decades after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-1 and 4-2. Their last championship was way back in 1988.
After the game, the third baseman, Turner tweeted that he was asymptomatic and felt great.
Moments after the tweet, Turner returned to the field while wearing a mask and carrying around the trophy and celebrating with his teammates.
Turner was next to Dodgers' Manager Dave Roberts, who was at the front of the team picture along with the trophy. He even took off his mask at one point, Yahoo! Sports reported.
Despite the incident, none of Turner's teammates seemed to be upset.
On the other hand, a report stated that Turner was told after the game not to mix with other people and was especially told not to go on the field.
Based on the report, not only the Dodgers officials spoke with Turner but also league officials and league security personnel, who asked him to remain in isolation despite the ongoing team celebration.
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However, Turner was adamant about wanting to participate in the celebration. He claimed that he had the support of at least a number of club officials about his decision to return to the field.
A Dodgers official stated, according to the report, that they are going to get him at least a picture then get him off the field as they cannot deny it to the player who served as the heart and the soul of their organization.
At the time of their 60-game regular season, the MLB had to postpone their 43 games because of numerous coronavirus cases, and the teams that had significant outbreaks in July and August were the Cardinals and Marlins, which threatened their seasons, ESPN reported.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, the league was able to survive and achieve the 60-game season as they used neutral sites in the postseason in order to limit travel and the possible exposure.
For some experts, the league was able to dodge a serious bullet after the results of Turner came out as the Dodgers were able to secure Game 6 and avoid the possibility of a do-or-die game 7.
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