Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has issued a public apology following the infielder's suspension stemming from a brawl with José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians.
Anderson was initially issued a six-game suspension for his involvement in the brawl, which was reduced to five games upon appeal. Ramírez had his suspension reduced from three games to two upon his appeal.
On his Instagram, Anderson issued the following apology via his story:
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"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," Anderson said in the apology.
Since players are allowed to play while their suspension is being appealed, Anderson's five-game suspension will begin with tomorrow night's game against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.
A former batting champion and two-time All-Star, Anderson has compiled the worst season of his career in 2023, managing a .238/.285/.284 slash line with just 14 extra-base hits, amounting to a 58 OPS+.
