Tim Anderson given one-game suspension

Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was handed a one-game suspension, along with an undisclosed fine, by the MLB for flipping off Cleveland fans during the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

As the Guardians came to bat in the eighth inning, Anderson was caught on camera making the gesture toward someone in the crowd as the Sox finished their infield warmup.

Anderson has appealed the decision and it will not be enforced during the the appeals process. If upheld, this will be the third game of the season that Anderson will miss due to suspension. He missed the first two games of the season after receiving a three-game suspension during the last week of the 2021 season when he pushed umpire Tim Timmons during a bench-clearing brawl in Detroit. Anderson was in the middle of the scrum and had no idea that he was pushing an umpire.

After not making an error over his first seven games, Anderson struggled mightily in the Cleveland series, committing three errors in that game and two more in the Thursday loss. He has been more consistent with the bat, however, with a .333 average and four multi-hit games so far.

There has been no indication if there will be any repercussions against the Guardians for fan provocation. Anderson has been unwilling to discuss the incident further, but his appeal suggests that he may feel differently behind closed doors. When asked about the incident, Anderson simply said, “Move forward, flush it, keep growing and learning and try to make today better than yesterday.”