Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has been suspended for three games and fined by Major League Baseball as punishment for making contact with home-plate umpire Nick Mahrley during Friday night’s game against the Oakland Athletics.
The league announced the suspension via press release on Saturday night. The release notes that Anderson has appealed the suspension, meaning he’ll be allowed to play until a hearing can be scheduled and another judgment can be handed down.
The incident occurred during the bottom of the seventh inning. Anderson took a pitch that seemed to be high to begin his at-bat. Mahrley called the pitch a strike, and the two appeared to trade words. Mahrley then ejected Anderson, who responded by stepping in for a closer chat. It was then that Anderson made contact with Mahrley, which triggered the suspension.
Here’s a complete look at the incident, courtesy of the miracle of modern broadcast technology:
Anderson, 29, entered Saturday hitting .310/.351/.414 (117 OPS+) with six home runs and 12 stolen bases in 71 games. His contributions have been worth an estimated 1.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
The White Sox, for their part, entered Saturday with a 49-50 record on the season, putting them three games back of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central. The White Sox also trail the Cleveland Guardians by two games for second place, and the Tampa Bay Rays by 3 ½ games for the third and final wild card spot.
Should Anderson be forced to serve his suspension, the White Sox would presumably turn to Leury García at shortstop. Danny Mendick, their usual backup shortstop, suffered a torn ACL in June that will keep him out the rest of the season.
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