ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The fallout from Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner's positive COVID-19 test that was revealed during Tuesday's World Series-ending game extended to the Rays.
Members of the Rays and Dodgers traveling parties were required to undergo additional testing after Tuesday's game and Wednesday morning at the Dallas-bubble hotel they shared during the Series and then had to await the results.
Major League Baseball said in a statement, "their travel back to their home cities will be determined after being approved by the appropriate authorities."
That apparently was granted, though the plane carrying players and staff was delayed leaving Dallas more than four hours due to a mechanical issue and had not taken off as of 8 p.m. A separate plane carrying principal owner Stuart Sternberg, team officials and family members who were not in the bubble landed in Tampa around 6 p.m.
The league, meanwhile, has launched an investigation into Turner's actions after being made aware of the test during the game and him being pulled off the field. He was put in a quarantined area at Globe Life Field but defied orders to stay so he could join the team's postgame celebration on the field, posing for photos without wearing a mask.
MLB explained the issue in a statement:
"Following the Dodgers' victory, it is clear that Turner chose to disregard the agreed-upon joint protocols and the instructions he was given regarding the safety and protection of others. While a desire to celebrate is understandable, Turner's decision to leave isolation and enter the field was wrong and put everyone he came in contact with at risk. When MLB Security raised the matter of being on the field with Turner, he emphatically refused to comply."
