Justin Turner apologized and won’t face any punishment for his actions at the conclusion of the World Series.
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series and within minutes, it was being reported that Justin Turner had tested positive for COVID-19. He was removed from the game, but was then seen celebrating on the field afterward, both with and without a mask on.
This was controversial and fans were left wondering if Turner would face any discipline. It appears he will not after releasing a public apology saying what he did was wrong.
Justin Turner apologizes for returning to the field after testing positive for COVID-19, #MLB accepts apology and takes responsibility as well, and considers the matter closed with no punishment pic.twitter.com/55Wc5BrPjN
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 6, 2020
MLB and Justin Turner moving on
No one else received a positive test following Turner’s actions and this apology seems to be a genuine one.
“I have spoken with almost every teammate, coach, and staff member, and my intentions were never to make anyone uncomfortable or put anyone at further risk,” Turner wrote.
Sometimes all it takes is genuine remorse, which is something the Houston Astros lacked, to move on from a situation and leave it in the past.
MLB and the Dodgers went on to release statements as well.
Major League Baseball has completed its investigation of the events following the Los Angeles Dodgers Victory in Game Six of the World Series. The following statements from MLB, Justin Turner, and the Dodgers were released today. pic.twitter.com/cVu1E6g7lT
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 6, 2020
MLB’s statement from Rob Manfred also casts blame on the league, mentioning how someone could have been assigned to Turner. He also threw other Dodgers players under the bus by saying they were the ones encouraging Turner to come on the field.
The situation did not result in a mass COVID-19 outbreak, and while some may want punishment of some sort, Manfred seems to be doing the right thing here. This was a unique season that will hopefully be the only one of its kind in terms of the severity of the pandemic.
Apologies and forgiveness can go a long way toward healing, and the league clearly wants this entire situation to be dropped.