MINNEAPOLIS — Shortstop Tim Anderson was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball Friday for his inappropriate actions towards fans during the White Sox’ game on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
The suspension had been scheduled to be served Friday when the White Sox opened a three-game series at Target Field in Minnesota, but Anderson has elected to appeal.
During the eighth inning Wednesday, Anderson appeared to let a heckler get the best of him and was seen on the TV broadcast raising a middle finger toward the stands on the third base side. Anderson made three errors during the first two innings.
He declined comment when approached about that Thursday.
“Move forward, flush it, keep growing and learning and try to make today better than yesterday,” Anderson said.
Anderson made five errors in the two games he played in during the three-game series. The fifth error was added Friday after a scoring change on a play in which Josh Naylor reached third base on a ground ball to Anderson. It was originally ruled a fielder’s choice.
It would be Anderson’s third career suspension. He served two games the first two games of the season for bumping an umpire late last season.
Robert avoids IL
AJ Pollock returned to the lineup, taking the place of center fielder Luis Robert, who will likely miss the Twins series but could return to the lineup early next week, manager Tony La Russa said.
Pollock was reinstated from the injured list after suffering a hamstring strain during the Sox’ opening series against the Tigers.
Robert pulled up after running out a ground ball in the eighth inning Thursday in Cleveland.
“I would think he won’t play these three [in Minnesota] La Russa said. “Off day Monday [when the Sox open a home stand against the Royals]. If we can play him Tuesday and not lose him for 10 days, it’s huge.
“He did the MRI and that’s what we hoped for — it looked minor. He felt a little tug and he stopped, so he didn’t run through it.”
Pollock, acquired from the Dodgers on April 1 in a trade for right-hander Craig Kimbrel, landed on the IL on April 12 (retroactive to April 10) with a strained right hamstring. He got his rehab at-bats at the spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz.
Foster on family leave list
Right-hander Matt Foster was placed on the family medical leave list, making room on the roster for Pollock. Foster owns a 1.42 ERA with five strikeouts in five relief appearances covering 5 1/3 innings. Foster has contributed to a bullpen that has allowed four runs on 12 hits over 23 innings (1.57 ERA) in the Sox’ last five road games through Thursday.
Harrison “thankful”
Josh Harrison (shoulder) continues to get treatment and said he was hopeful of playing Saturday. Harrison said the ‘snow angel’ he did in the outfield grass after an acrobatic tumble over Andrew Vaughn and a running catch in short left field in Cleveland Wednesday was a “sigh of relief, a thank God.”
“I envisioned myself or Vaughn or both of us getting carted off,” he said. “It could have been worse.”
*Yoan Moncada (oblique) worked up a sweat taking a healthy amount of swings in the cage, then fielded ground balls.
