The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Joe Davis tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) and will not be part of SportsNet LA broadcasts for the immediate future. Analyst Orel Hershiser has been placed into an indefinite quarantine as well due to being a close contact.
“We wish them both well and look forward to safely welcoming them back to the Dodger broadcast,” the team said in a statement. They added Davis was fully vaccinated.
Along with missing Dodgers broadcasts, Davis won’t be able to fulfill his college football role for Fox Sports as well. He was on the call for USC’s thrilling comeback road win against Washington State last Saturday.
Tim Neverett will assume play-by-play duties for SportsNet LA moving forward and be accompanied by a rotation of analysts. Former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti was first to do so for Wednesday’s game between the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies, and Rick Monday filled the role for the series finale.
Like Davis and Hershiser for nearly two seasons now, road games will be called from Dodger Stadium. Only recently has reporter Kirsten Watson started traveling with the team for in-person interviews and coverage.
Though, Davis and Hershiser were recently bumped to calling games from a remote booth at the SportsNet LA studio because of concerts at Dodger Stadium.
The first was “Hella Mega Tour,” featuring Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer and special guests, The Interrupters. They were followed the next night by the “Aventura: Inmortal Stadium Tour.”
Why Hershiser missed Lasorda’s funeral
The Dodgers held an intimate Celebration of Life ceremony at Dodger Stadium earlier this year for Tommy Lasorda, with Eric Karros, Mickey Hatcher, and Justin and Kourtney Turner among those in attendance.
Noticeably absent was Hershiser, who has regularly spoke of Lasorda as a father figure. He revealed during a March broadcast that was due to testing positive for COVID.
“I actually got a positive test January 12 — my wife’s birthday,” Hershiser said. “I wasn’t able to travel to California to be with Tommy, Jo, Laura, the whole family. Very sad day.”
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