Cleveland’s Jose Ramírez, eft, and Chicago’s Tim Anderson square off during the sixth inning of Saturday’s game at Cleveland. Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press
CLEVELAND — Tim Anderson’s decision to pick a fight with José Ramírez cost him more than a sore jaw.
Chicago’s shortstop was suspended six games and Ramírez for three games by Major League Baseball for throwing punches and touching off a lengthy, wild brawl between the White Sox and Guardians on Saturday night.
MLB announced the discipline for Anderson and Ramírez on Monday, along with other suspensions and fines following one of baseball’s ugliest fights in several years.
Anderson and Ramírez also were fined an undisclosed amount. Both players are appealing, and were in their respective lineups Monday night.
Anderson was given the harsher penalty for instigating the fight as he and Ramirez faced off in the middle of the infield like boxers inside the ropes. Anderson connected with a couple punches before Ramirez dropped him with a blow to the face.
The White Sox said Anderson passed a concussion test.
Also, Cleveland Manager Terry Francona, Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh have been suspended one game each. Chicago Manager Pedro Grifol was also suspended for one game.
In addition, White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech and Guardians rookie Gabriel Arias have been fined an undisclosed amount for their actions.
Francona and Clase served their suspensions Monday as the Guardians opened a four-game series with Toronto. Grifol also served his suspension Monday when the White Sox hosted the New York Yankees. Sarbaugh intends to sit on Tuesday.
ASTROS: Jon Singleton is being called up by the Houston Astros, returning to the team he last played for in 2015.
Singleton told The Associated Press he was heading to Baltimore on Monday to join the team for the opener of a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles, who have the best record in the American League.
The first baseman adds some depth at a position where José Abreu is the starter. Abreu has underperformed in the first year of a three-year $58.5 million contract, hitting just .237 with 10 homers and 56 RBI.
The left-handed slugger has been playing at Triple-A Sugar Land after signing a minor league deal with the Astros on June 24 following his release from the Brewers. He’s been great since joining the Space Cowboys, hitting .333 with 12 homers, 28 RBI and a 1.138 OPS.
Singleton was in the Astros’ organization until before the 2018 season when he asked for his release after being suspended 100 games after a third positive drug test while playing at Double-A Corpus Christi. He was regarded as one of the top infield prospects while with the Astros’ organization from 2011 until his release after being acquired in a trade with Philadelphia.
Singleton didn’t play organized baseball from 2017 until 2021 when he restarted his career in the Mexican League. After his release from the Astros, he didn’t plan on playing baseball again.
YANKEES: The New York Yankees activated right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga from the 60-day injured list while announcing that left-hander Carlos Rodón will be out with a hamstring strain.
The Yankees also placed Rodón on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Rodón exited his start against the Houston Astros in the third inning Sunday with left hamstring tightness.
The Yankees also recalled left-hander Nick Ramirez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designated right-hander Deivi García for assignment.
METS: Struggling third baseman Brett Baty was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse in a move Mets Manager Buck Showalter described as a “reset.”
The Mets also placed outfielder Starling Marte on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain that has bothered him for most of the season.
Baty homered in his first at-bat in Atlanta last August but has struggled for most of his career so far. He batted .184 in 11 games last season and is hitting .216 with seven homers and 27 RBI this season.
Baty, New York’s first-round pick in 2019, has particularly struggled since the All-Star break. He is hitless in his last 19 at-bats and 9 for 69 (.130) with 24 strikeouts in 21 games since the break.
RANGERS: Third baseman Josh Jung will have surgery this week after breaking his left thumb during Sunday’s 6-0 home win against Miami, but Manager Bruce Bochy remains hopeful the rookie slugger can return this season.
Dr. Donald Sheridan, a specialist, examined Jung in Arizona and determined he needs surgery to stabilize the injury at the base of his thumb. The procedure is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, and he likely will miss at least six weeks.
WHITE SOX: Chicago White Sox management refuted claims by former reliever Keynan Middleton that the downtrodden team had a culture with “no rules,” allowing a rookie reliever to regularly fall asleep during games and other players to miss meetings and practices.
Middleton, dealt to the New York Yankees for minor league pitching prospect Juan Carela just before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, made the statements in an ESPN report published on Sunday.
Before Monday’s game against the Yankees in Chicago, White Sox GM Rick Hahn and first-year field manager Pedro Grifol said Middleton’s claims were inaccurate. But both admitted their disappointing team had faced its share internal issues, centering around building a winning culture.
Hahn emphasized that no reliever had been dozing in the bullpen, while adding the White Sox have a position player with serious sleep disorder who is permitted to take naps in the clubhouse per medical direction..
Hahn and Grifol said there have been times when players have violated team rules, but they faced discipline that wasn’t disclosed under a typical baseball policy of “what happens in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse.”
Hahn said Middleton was one of those players.
“Quite frankly, it’s a little bit ironic that Keynan’s the one saying this, because my last conversation with him face-to-face was a week ago in the clubhouse where he sought me out to apologize for his unprofessional behavior Pedro had called him out on,” Hahn said. “At the time I figured that was a one-off.”
Hahn said Middleton told him before the trade to New York that he might want to return to a Chicago as a free agent after the season.
When told of the White Sox managers’ replies before Monday’s game, Middleton stood by his original story.
“I said what I said and I stand on that,” the 29-year-old right-hander said. “I honestly don’t want to comment on it any more.
“Right now my sole focus is being a Yankee, my future being a Yankee moving forward and making the playoffs and all these things.”‘
ORIOLES: The Baltimore Orioles indicated that broadcaster Kevin Brown would be back on the air soon after reports that his recent absence was because he mentioned that the team had already won as many games at Tampa Bay this year as it did over the previous three seasons.
Announcers such as Michael Kay of the YES Network came to Brown’s defense Monday night.
“MLB has to get involved,” Kay, who does play-by-play for the New York Yankees, said on social media. “This is an awful look and a terrible thing to do to a terrific broadcaster.”
The Athletic, citing unidentified sources, reported Brown was taken off the air over his comments on a MASN-TV broadcast July 23. He pointed out that the Orioles were already 3-2 at Tampa Bay this year after winning only three games there from 2020-22. (They then won again to improve to 4-2 in 2023.)
A team official said Monday night that the Orioles don’t comment on personnel matters but were looking forward to having Brown back soon. A message was left with a MASN spokesman seeking comment.
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