Anderson apologizes on Instagram for altercation with Guardians

DENVER -- White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson reached a settlement with Major League Baseball as announced on Thursday regarding the discipline issued on Aug. 7 for his involvement in an on-field altercation with the Guardians. He will now serve a five-game suspension that will begin on Friday when the White Sox play a three-game series at Colorado.

Anderson, who will be eligible to return on Aug. 23 for a day game at home against the Mariners, spoke to the media prior to Friday’s series opener at Coors Field.

“My emotion got the best of me,” he said. “And that happens. … [Now] I’ve gotta just keep working, and understanding that I’ve gotta be better. I have to be better. I will be better.”

Anderson issued the following statement of apology on a story through his personal Instagram account on Thursday night.

"I want to apologize to the entire White Sox organization, my teammates, manager and coaches and to the fans for my part in the altercation which took place in Cleveland. This has been an incredibly disappointing season for me personally and for our team. I will not get into the things that were said to me by Cleveland players both Friday night and Saturday, but those comments do not excuse my language or conduct, and I take full responsibility for my emotions getting the better of me.

“The Cleveland players are free to say whatever they want, but I will just say that no one has more respect for the game of baseball than me. I look forward to returning after serving my suspension and finishing the season playing the best baseball I can to help my team.”

The original suspension stemmed from his involvement in an on-field skirmish with Cleveland's José Ramírez at second base during a game on Aug. 5 at Progressive Field.

Anderson played during the appeal process, going 2-for-17 with two RBIs in the interim. Although he has been one of the top hitters in the game and an engaging and captivating presence since winning the American League batting title in 2019, Anderson has struggled mightily this season. The 30-year-old has a .238/.285/.284 slash line with only one home run despite having 98 for his career.

The White Sox hold a $14 million option for Anderson for 2024, with a $1 million buyout. Elvis Andrus has moved to shortstop with the newly recalled Lenyn Sosa (the club’s No. 16 prospect per MLB Pipeline) and Zach Remillard presumably at second during Anderson’s five-game absence.

Anderson said Friday that he hoped his Instagram statement would demonstrate his sincerity and how he genuinely feels about the situation.

“I just really wanted to say what I believe,” he said. “And I hope it sat well with whoever received it. I definitely wanted to be real about it, be authentic about it. You know, accountability. To apologize. A little bit of everything.”

With the words “accountability” and “culture” being prominent around the White Sox recently, Anderson addressed how his altercation in Cleveland didn’t help matters.

“I always try to lead by example,” he said. “But I haven’t given a good example. So that’s definitely not a good point. But I try every day to better myself and better the guys around me. I’m pretty sure this organization knows what type of person I am, what I bring to the table and how I work.”

As he began serving his suspension, Anderson reflected on the challenges of this season, both for the underachieving White Sox and for him, personally. He said that the next few days would provide him with some time to “kind of slow it down and understand.”

There have been other obstacles that have derailed Anderson’s season, including a knee injury that caused him to miss nearly a month. He noted that prior to getting hurt, he had gotten off to a strong start to the 2023 campaign (before the injury, he was hitting .298 with five doubles in 11 games).

Amid the difficulties he and his club are currently going through, Anderson added that he’s hopeful in spite of the circumstances.

“If you’re not going through anything, then you’re not growing,” he said. “It is a lot, but it has to be working toward something great. … I’m just gonna keep going, keep working and seeing where it’s leading. Hopefully it’s somewhere near greatness.”