Tim Anderson out six weeks with hand injury
Before I saw the unclear video footage on Twitter claiming that Tim Anderson was at the airport in Dallas flying back to Chicago, I had to wade through about 500 tweets claiming other places Anderson was spotted.
Alas, the effort to minimize the implications of a premature flight home didn’t work if this report from Russell Dorsey holds up.
(UPDATE: The White Sox indeed placed Anderson on the injured list after Game 1 of today’s doubleheader with a sagittal band tear on his left hand. The team says he will undergo surgery on Thursday and is expected to miss six weeks.)
Anderson injured his hand on a checked swing in ninth inning of Saturday’s loss to the Rangers.
He grounded out to first in a play that was reviewed, and he spent the duration of the challenge tending to his hand. When he started serving the suspension the following day, I’d wondered if it was good timing on the appeal or a strategic move on the White Sox’s part, since Anderson wouldn’t be able to play regardless. Since his suspension was reduced by a game, the answer might be “both.”
If there’s any good news, the shoes Anderson’s currently wearing shouldn’t be that hard to fill. He hit just .249/.287/.290 in 39 games since coming back from the injured list for his strained groin, which is pretty much what Leury García has done over his last 39 games (.237/.273/.290). In terms of production received, it’s like the White Sox have already been playing without Anderson for eight weeks. What’s another four to six?
The other side to this coin is that it robs the White Sox of another source of upside during this stretch run. Whatever García and Lenyn Sosa do, it’s not likely to come close to Anderson at his best.
However, if you’re more confident that Anderson would spend the bulk of the last two months severely compromised, rather than 100 percent, then at least Tony La Russa and the coaching staff are free from the weight of batting-order or playing-time demotions.
From here, the most likely battleground will be the playing time that García receives in his stead. I’d like to see Sosa get a solid week of playing time just to understand what is or isn’t there, but Tony La Russa never passes up an opportunity to get García involved. Here he is starting at short in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
To me, the argument isn’t so much about whether García or Sosa should be playing, because I understand a manager preferring the veteran option over a prospect who may still require upper-minors finishing for a crucial stretch of games, as much as I’d rather see him explore the unknown.
Regardless, if García is the unquestioned starting shortstop, it seems like the White Sox would be better off finding another infielder who can sit two months on an MLB roster and thank the team for the privilege. There’s an internal option in Cohoes’ Zach Remillard, and Andrelton Simmons was just DFA’d by the Cubs, to name a couple.
In the comments on the last post, there was some discussion over whether the injury would delay Anderson’s suspension. La Russa’s pre-game comment might be a way to wrap up that suspension with an air of uncertainty:
(Or it could just be another example of the opaque, perplexing way this team handles player health.)
I dont like the Sosa promotion cause he was finally getting into the swing of things in AAA. I know the Sox lacked any inhouse options but i would much rather they bring a random FA vet in then have Sosa start all over again in terms of developing rhythm.
Andrelton Simmons is fun. Amazing defense and some of the worst swings you’ll ever see.
Simmons has been such an elite defender that he doesn’t have to hit much to be worth it but it looks like he can’t hit at all anymore. Heck, if Simmons could still hit even a little he’d be making a HOF case (Vizquel wasn’t a great hitter and didn’t have Simmons’s glove and he’s gotten a lot of votes even with a scandal). It’s all moot since Simmons can no longer hit.
Simmons is no longer an elite fielder. Still above average but not close to his peak.
Of course this hurts their chances to win the division. Yet it matters little to what their chances in October would have been if they were playing. We have known what those are for a long time.
Fast Forward to next March. …We felt getting a full season of Tim Anderson is better than any acquisition we could make
Rick
You know this means Leury will start every game until the end of the season.
he was going to anyway…
Yeah, I’m mentally prepared for the Leury poison pill from ole Tony.
Simmons can still really pick it at SS. He’s been just dreadful at the plate this year, and was extremely bad last year too. If he’s healthy I’d sign him but keep Sosa around too.
I’d rather see Yolbert Sanchez or Romy Gonzalez. Let’s see if Sosa can hang first though.
I do fear this is just going to be the Leury starting SS period though.
Romy is in Arizona still after a dreadful year, he’s not ready. Yolbert is hitting all of .268/.310/.330 at Charlotte, which makes even Zack Collins look like a great hitter.
Sosa provides questionable defense at SS with maybe some pop and offensive production, Simmons provides 80 defense and is a plus with even the slightest offensive contribution. Sosa and Romy are similar but Sosa is clearly in a better spot to help right now, and Simmons and Sanchez are similar but Simmons’ D and MLB experience makes him a better bet to actually contribute.
And instead of getting to watch Sosa play, as one of the few developing players in this organization with potential, we will get to watch Leury.
If Sosa is questionable defensively he still might be better than Tim.
Ignore DRS, it’s incredibly touchy and unreliable. UZR and Statcast think Tim is about average at SS, a little below this year. He makes errors more than is ideal but he’s got plenty of athleticism, range, and arm strength for the position. Sosa has serious questions on all of those per scouts. He’s just not going to be physically capable of making the same plays Tim does.
I’d rather stick with Leury then.
There’s also Didi Gregorius who just got DFA’d by Philly.
Simmons couldn’t even get 100 ABs for the Cubs, that says it all.
Didi is bad defensively AND can’t hit.
No good options a week after the trade deadline…
Yep, shit timing on a shit season. That’s the White Sox way.
I think we’re past the point of anything mattering with this team from here on out with who plays at SS. All else equal I’d like to see someone other than Garcia, but that’s just me.
About the best we can hope for are signs of life from Lynn, Moncada, Eloy (who is showing some), and Grandal, hopefully looking less like they might be close to a $65M black hole next year.
I mean, can’t we see someone young at least? We HAVE to plug in Leury or some other over 30 cast-off? Rather than have all these prospects and theorize what they would do at the MLB level, can’t we just give them a chance?
I’m all for what you said, makes sense and would be more interesting than the boring nonsense we’ve watched. Yet probably only possible if they got rid of the Russa.
Exactly. I completely 100% realize they might bomb and I couldn’t care less. It just sounds like fun to watch lol.
JFC, Andrelton Simmons? I can’t believe it’s come to this lol. Nobody wants to see TA get hurt, but it’s an opportunity so don’t waste valuable evaluation/developmental at-bats; Leury can’t hit, Simmons can’t hit. We already know this. Give someone else a chance. They can’t be worse. Romy, Sosa, Remillard, any of those work.
Injured checking a swing? Oh boy
Whoever had AJ Pollock as the healthiest White Sox player not named José Abreu can collect on any operating teller….what was the word Jim used the other day? Papier Maché or something like that…yup. sounds about right.
This an unwelcome amount of Leury to warch during this stretch. If there’s a time for Leury to get hot, it’s now.
cursed season
Anderson hurt? This happened on a check swing? Just can not make this shit up.
at least it’s not Chris Sale….
I blame La Russa for Anderson’s injury. He also made Lance Lynn forget how to pitch.