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 comes 10 days 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 Dodgers organization continues to work with us during this ongoing outbreak investigation,’’ the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Friday in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.
The Los Angeles Department of Public Heath did not identify any of the five people with the Dodgers on the agency’s website and the Dodgers did not immediately respond to request for comment. Major League Baseball said it was unaware of the positive test results.
OPINION:MLB gives Justin Turner a free pass after coronavirus exposure during World Series
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 in 32 years. Turner’s on-field appearance sparked controversy in part because he took off his mask during the celebration.
Turner will not be suspended, fined for disciplined for leaving his isolated room after he’d been informed he had COVID-19, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday.
“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,” 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.
