The Los Angeles Dodgers will finish out the remainder of the 2019 season without concern of Justin Turner needing to serve a one-game suspension MLB handed down after he and home-plate umpire Rob Drake made contact with one another following a game at Petco Park.
Turner told DodgerBlue.com he won his appeal with MLB and only is required to pay the undisclosed fine. The punishment stemmed from Turner protesting a called strike three to end the Dodgers’ loss to the San Diego Padres.
He was among multiple players — from both teams — who had issue with Drake’s inconsistent zone. In his postgame interview, Turner explained he grew frustrated by being told strike three was down the middle of the plate, and he maintained it was Drake who initiated the contact.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts rushed onto the field to separate the two, and all parties involved continued to exchange words as they walked to the dugout and umpires’ room, respectively.
After news of the suspension and immediate appeal surfaced, Roberts voiced confidence Turner’s reputation would ultimately be a factor. So much so that Roberts did not feel it necessary to contact MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre on behalf of Turner. Torre oversees on-field discipline and umpiring, among other areas.
Turner’s appeal is the third the Dodgers have been involved with since last season. Though, he’s the first to successfully get a suspension overturned.
In June 2018, Matt Kemp was suspended one game for getting into a shoving match with Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos. Kemp’s appeal was denied just under two weeks after the ban was imposed.
Then in August, Yasiel Puig was suspended two games after it was deemed by MLB he ignited a brawl with the San Francisco Giants. The ruling on Puig’s appeal was not made until nearly one month later.
Turner’s suspension was handed down Aug. 27.
