


White Sox infielder Tim Anderson apologized for his role in an Aug. 5 brawl with Guardians third baseman José Ramírez.
In a statement posted to his Instagram, Anderson took “full responsibility” for his actions during the incident.
The 30-year-old was initially suspended six games for the fight, but after an appeal, it was reduced to five.
“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,” he wrote. “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 brawl occurred after José Ramírez appeared to take exception to the aggressiveness of the tag Anderson put on him as he slid headfirst into second base during the game in Cleveland.
Anderson stood over Ramirez, and the two exchanged words before they squared up, with Ramirez eventually landing a right hook that knocked Anderson down.
The fight emptied the benches, and Anderson and Ramirez were both ejected, along with White Sox manager Pedro Grifol, Guardians manager Terry Francona, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and closer Emmanuel Clase.
Anderson had remained quiet about the fight, except for a string of bizarre posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the incident.
Following the game, Ramirez said that Anderson had “been disrespecting the game for a while.”
The Cleveland infielder softened his language a bit in the following days, calling Anderson a “very good baseball player.”