Watch: Dodgers fan-favorite Justin Turner receives warm welcome on first visit to Dodger Stadium as a Mariner 

Seattle Mariners' veteran designated hitter Justin Turner received a warm welcome on his return to Dodger Stadium during his team's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.

During Turner's first at-bat in the top of the second inning, the crowd rose to their feet to applaud the former Dodgers World Series winner. Freddie Freeman also applauded the 39-year-old on his return to his former stomping ground.

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Turner spent nine years with the Dodgers, helping the team to a World Series title in 2020. The two-time All-Star's most prominent contribution came in 2017 when he was named the NLCS MVP.

Turner became a free agent after the Dodgers declined his $16 million in November 2022. He was subsequently signed by the Boston Red Sox for the 2023 season and eventually made his way to the Toronto Blue Jays on a $13 million contract in 2024.

He was later traded to the Seattle Mariners ahead of the trade deadline on July 29 for RJ Schreck. Turner was warmly felicitated by the club and its faithful on his return to the ballpark for the first time since 2022 on Monday. The Dodgers also donated $10,000 to the Justin Turner Foundation.

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Dave Roberts credits Justin Turner for establishing trust among players

Justin Turner was seemingly overwhelmed by the love he received from fans and his former teammates and thanked them for their support ahead of the game (via APNews.com):

“I just want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you guys so much for nine of the most incredible years of my life. You guys made this one of the most special times and I can’t say thank you enough,” Turner said.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also highlighted the veteran star's role in the clubhouse after he took the managerial role in 2014:

"Justin and Adrian Gonzalez were two of my biggest allies to help me get the player buy-in and trust, and for that, I'll always be in debt to those guys. 'JT' is probably the smartest player I've ever had. He could be a manager one day," Roberts said.

Both teams currently remain in a deadlock with the score 0-0 at the bottom of the seventh inning.

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