Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson had his suspension from the brawl with the Cleveland Guardians reduced to five games, Major League Baseball announced Thursday.
It’s a reduction of one game following the initial MLB ruling on Aug. 7. Anderson appealed.
Anderson will miss the three-game series against the Colorado Rockies, which begins Friday at Coors Field in Denver, and the first two games of the home series against the Seattle Mariners on Monday and Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Anderson on Thursday issued an apology in an Instagram story, writing: “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 ruling stems from the fight which broke out in the sixth inning on Aug. 5 at Progressive Field when Guardians third baseman José Ramírez doubled to right with one out and made a headfirst slide into second, where Anderson applied the tag. Words were exchanged before Anderson and Ramírez squared off near second base and traded swings.
Ramírez landed a right haymaker that leveled Anderson. The benches cleared, and it took 14 minutes to restore order.
Anderson was one of six people to receive suspensions as part of the fallout from the incident. Ramírez had his suspension reduced from three games to two, which he served Saturday and Sunday.
Sox manager Pedro Grifol and Guardians manager Terry Francona, closer Emmanuel Clase and third-base coach Mike Sarbaugh each served one-game suspensions.