Suspended for the fourth time in three seasons, Tim Anderson has continued a precipitous decline that raises questions about his future with the White Sox.

The cornerstone shortstop was suspended six games by Major League Baseball on Monday after dropping his glove and squaring off to fight Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez in a Saturday game at Progressive Field. There were five other suspensions issued by the commissioner’s office but it is the pattern of Anderson’s behavior, along with diminished production, that is troubling.

He was suspended for his role in a fight with the Detroit Tigers in 2021 and in ’22 for making an obscene gesture to fans (a one-game suspension he successfully appealed) and making helmet-to-hat contact with an umpire. None of this would be such a concern if Anderson was playing well and the Sox were winning but the former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner epitomizes his downward spiraling franchise.

Anderson was the AL batting champ in 2019 and hit a career-high20 home runs in ‘18. But he’s batting .242 and has hit one homer in 424 at-bats since July 15, 2022. He’s also declined defensively, with Fangraphs ranking his play at shortstop as being worth -13 Defensive Runs Saved, which ranks 20th among 21 qualifiers.

The White Sox reportedly shopped Anderson before the August 1 trade deadline, when they dealt Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn and five other veterans. They found no takers even though his contract is guaranteed only through September.

Anderson was a value for the White Sox at his peak, as he signed a six-year, $25 million contract after playing only 99 major-league games. That deal included club options for 2023 and ’24, extending the period of team control to eight seasons. The Sox exercised the ’23 option at $12.5 million per season but the decision on a $14-million option for ’24 no longer seems automatic.

The White Sox don’t have a replacement ready to step in and did not acquire any middle infielders in their recent wave of trade activity. But top prospect Colson Montgomery was recently promoted to Double-A and the Sox selected power-hitting University of Mississippi shortstop Jacob Gonzalez with their first pick in the June draft.

White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn has said he believes the franchise can compete in 2024 despite trading seven veterans before the trade deadline. They probably have a better chance to do that with Anderson at shortstop than a short-term replacement but he’s going the wrong direction in a critical time for his career.