The 32-year drought has ended. The Dodgers are the champions of baseball for the eighth time in their 137-year franchise history.

Waiting for a World Series win to come to light has finally happened. October 27th, 2020, will forever mark the day that 24-year-old Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias took the mound and wrapped up the game with a win by striking out Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Willy Adames. The Culiacan, Mexico native finished the 2020 postseason with a 4-0 record, 1.17 ERA, and 29 strikeouts in 23 innings pitched across the unprecedented 2020 postseason.

Dodger fans all over had a surge of emotion. Twitter and other social media outlets were buzzing with pictures of fans crying and celebrating. There were also tweets coming through from Dodger players, once they could have a minute to do so. One player, in particular, took to social media to let fans know how he was feeling.

“Can’t believe I couldn’t be out there to celebrate with my guys!”

That player was, of course, Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, who was suddenly pulled out of the game before the start of the eighth inning.

At first, no one knew what was going on. The Dodgers had yet to release a statement as to why they had removed their unofficial team captain from the single biggest game of his life and 12-year MLB career.

And then we found out.

Shortly before Urias’ historic strikeout of Adames, it was reported first on social media and then on the television and radio broadcasts that the popular Long Beach, CA native had tested positive for COVID-19 and had been pulled from the game to isolate him from his teammates to minimize the chance of infecting them with the potentially deadly virus.

Or so everyone thought.

“I don’t think there was anyone that was going to stop him from going out [onto the field],” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters after the game.

Friedman was correct regarding his statement about not stopping Turner from going onto the field. He did so less than an hour after being put into isolation. He was seen hugging his teammates, posing for pictures, some with his mask on, and in some photos, Turner was without his mask; including a team photo of him sitting next to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, a cancer survivor.

It didn’t take long for MLB to release the following statement:

“Immediately upon receiving notice from the laboratory of a positive test, protocols were triggered, leading to the removal of Justin Turner from last night’s game.

“Turner was placed into isolation for the safety of those around him. However, 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.”

An investigation by the commissioner’s office is currently underway, which could result in disciplinary action per an agreement between MLB and the Players’ Association on health and safety protocols. And while there has been no additional information from MLB, Turner posted on Twitter that he feels “great.”

Even though these are trying times we live in, safety protocols during a pandemic should be put at the forefront of all decisions and should not be ignored – COVID-19 does not care who you are. It would be hard to not celebrate with your teammates, but still not worth possibly making them critically ill. Luckily, for Turner, no other teammates that he has played with that night have tested positive for COVID-19, nor has anyone on the Tampa Bay Rays.

Let’s hope that it stays that way.

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