Tim Anderson’s fight against Cleveland Guardians star José Ramírez didn’t go very well, but he at least notched a small win appealing his corresponding suspension.
The Chicago White Sox shortstop had a six-game suspension reduced to five games through a settlement with MLB, the league announced Thursday. He was scheduled to appeal the discipline before an arbitrator that same day.
Anderson had been allowed to continue playing while his appeal was pending. He will begin serving the suspension on Friday when the White Sox face the Colorado Rockies.
The settlement closes the book on the wildest brawl of the season, in which Anderson reportedly took exception to a comment from Ramírez about how hard he tags players and squared up for a fistfight. He and Ramírez exchanged a couple punches before a right hook from Ramírez connected with Anderson’s jaw and sent him backward to the ground.
That wasn’t the end of the festivities, as both dugouts cleared and got into a mass shoving match twice, with Guardians manager Terry Francona and White Sox manager Pedro Grifol both getting into it. Anderson was also seen talking trash before then getting carried off the field by teammate Andrew Vaughn.
The result discipline-wise was an initial six-game suspension for Anderson, three games for Ramírez and one game each for Francona, Grifol, Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase and Guardians third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh. White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech and Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias were also both fined.
Clearly, MLB placed primary responsibility for the brawl on Anderson, even though he took the hardest punch.
Ramírez also had his suspension reduced to two games on appeal, while Clase accepted his one-game ban. Coaches cannot appeal MLB suspensions, so Francona, Grifol and Sarbaugh all served their suspensions as well.
The whole episode was a lowlight, but at least an entertaining lowlight, in a miserable season for Anderson, who is currently hitting .238/.285/.284 with one homer and 11 stolen bases in 397 plate appearances this season.
