Los Angeles Dodgers: Teammates defend Justin Turner’s celebration

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner caught heat after his team won the World Series, celebrating on the field despite a positive Covid-19 test.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers stormed the mound after winning the 2020 World Series, Justin Turner was not on the field. Turner had been pulled from the game due to a positive Covid-19 test. And after a long struggle to finally reach the mountaintop, fans felt bad that Turner couldn’t be out there to celebrate with his team.

However, Turner did go out to celebrate with his team after the initial dogpile. And people instantly stopped feeling bad for him and began criticizing his decision to celebrate. He put his team at risk, their families at risk, and the stadium staff at risk. Not only did he disregard the MLB Covid-19 protocols by returning to the field, he was walking around in close proximity to his teammates without wearing a mask.

And I get it. Turner’s been waiting for this moment his entire career. To have it ripped away from him due to the Covid-19 pandemic is an absolutely brutal break. And his teammates are stepping up to make it known that they had no objection to Turner’s actions.

According to Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen, Turner asked to come back out onto the field. He didn’t force his way out as had been previously believed. And Treinen made it clear that he believes the backlash to Turner’s actions is completely unwarranted. He cast objections to the way Major League Baseball and the media handled the incident.

But even if the team was ok with Turner’s presence on the field, it’s still unacceptable. Turner knowingly put other people in danger of contracting Covid-19. It’s a failure on Turner’s part and a scathing indictment on the effectiveness of MLB’s safety protocols. It’s a bad look for the league and a bad look for Turner. Regardless of whether or not he got the “ok” from his teammates.