Trea Turner Makes Tearful Apology for Old Racist, Homophobic Tweets

Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner spoke publicly Tuesday, apologizing for the racist and homophobic tweets he sent in the past. 

"It's not when I said those things I said, it's that I said them at all," Turner said to reporters, per the Washington Post's Jorge Castillo.

MLB.com's Jamal Collier and the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes shared more of Turner's comments:

Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader and Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Sean Newcomb also recently were found to have posted racially insensitive and homophobic tweets when they were younger. Both players apologized after the tweets surfaced.

Turner's teammate Sean Doolittle posted a lengthy thread Monday examining the issue and broadly discussing why athletes need to be more careful with how they use their platforms on social media (warning: thread contains profanity):

MLB required Hader to attend sensitivity training and take part in the league's diversity and inclusion initiatives. MLB.com's Mark Bowman reported Newcomb will meet with Billy Bean, MLB's ambassador of inclusion, while the Braves are in New York City for a four-game series with the New York Mets that starts Thursday.

It's not yet clear what repercussions Turner could face for his offense or whether he'll have to meet with MLB officials.