Operation Shutdown began for the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 21, one day after a crushing loss to the Cleveland Guardians virtually ended their postseason dreams.
Luis Robert and Tim Anderson soon were declared out for the rest of the season, joining Michael Kopech on the list of Sox players who probably could play through their injuries if the games had any meaning.
Manager Tony La Russa already had been shut down on Aug. 30 with a heart-related issue that doctors felt was serious enough to prevent him from managing the final month. Because he hasn’t been made available to the media since the Sox announced Saturday that he won’t return to the dugout this season, we can only speculate that he didn’t deem these final games worth fighting the decision.
