ARLINGTON, Texas — The Chicago White Sox closed their four-game series against the Texas Rangers on Sunday without All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson, who began serving a two-game suspension.
Anderson was suspended three games by Major League Baseball and fined an undisclosed amount for making contact with plate umpire Nick Mahrley on July 29 against the Oakland Athletics. Anderson and manager Tony La Russa were ejected after disagreeing with a strike call on the first pitch of a seventh-inning at-bat.
Anderson appealed the suspension, which was reduced to two games. He also will miss the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Anderson, who declined to comment through a Sox spokesperson, is slashing .301/.339/.395 with 13 doubles, six home runs, 25 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 79 games. He’s eighth in the American League in batting average.
He’s hitless in his last 15 at-bats and is 13-for-52 (.250) with two doubles and one RBI in his last 12 games.
“He’s pressing,” La Russa said before Sunday’s game when asked what he has seen from Anderson recently at the plate. “Sometimes the desire to win, you want to do more. Just back him off a little bit. Better kind of problem to have.
“We put zeros on the board and he goes up there and wants to do more. Human nature but it’s tough. ... He’s in between. It happens to everybody.”
Anderson is 15th in the AL in WAR (6.9), according to fangraphs.com.
“He’s definitely an igniter,” La Russa said. “One of the values of having a deep lineup is it takes the pressure off everybody, including him. We’ve been (in Texas) three days and it’s been a different-looking offense. Other guys try to do it too. Seen Andrew (Vaughn) take some un-Andrew-like at-bats, trying to force it.
“Just got to get back to your at-bat, get a strike, take a walk, get something good to hit. Easier said than done.”
The Sox recalled infielder Lenyn Sosa from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned left-handed pitcher Tanner Banks to Charlotte before Sunday’s game.
Sosa is slashing .316/.367/.512 with 16 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, 58 RBIs and 57 runs in 85 games this season with Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte.
He played in four games with the Sox from June 23-27, going 1-for-12 (.083) with a double and two runs. Banks is 1-0 with a 3.16 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 29 relief appearances.
Leury García started at shortstop Sunday with Sosa an option off the bench.
“Here for sure two games and we’ll see what happens,” La Russa said of Sosa, noting that the team will have to make roster adjustments with reliever Reynaldo López scheduled to return from the injured list Tuesday. “For right now, it’s just to protect us the two days Tim is missing.”
