Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson reportedly was involved in a physical altercation with teammate Yasmani Grandal, less than a month before his suspension for squaring up in a benches-clearing brawl with the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.
Grandal allegedly slapped Anderson in the face and the two had to be separated in the clubhouse prior to the White Sox’s game with the Cardinals on July 9, according to Shane Riordan, an executive producer for the “Parkins & Spiegel” show on 670 The Score in Chicago.
Riordan reported during Monday’s show that things escalated when Grandal complained in the clubhouse about not being in the lineup for Chicago’s home game against St. Louis, which took place a day before the All-Star break.
Grandal, in an expletive-filled rant, said he wanted to leave for the break a day early since he was not in the lineup, multiple sources told Riordan.
When Anderson, who was in the cold tub at the time, overheard Grandal’s comments, he offered to help remove Grandal from the clubhouse.
According to Riordan: “Tim Anderson says, ‘Well, f–k you f–k that,’ if he wants to get out of here now, I’ll pay for his flight and bring him there myself.
“Yasmani Grandal walks over to Tim Anderson and slaps him across the face and they got into a fight from here. They had to be separated.”
Anderson went 0-for-5 that day, which Chicago lost 4-3 in 10 innings, while Grandal, a catcher, made a pinch-hit appearance and drew a walk.
Riordan said he received the information after Grandal was the one to grab Anderson and help remove him from the on-field brawl that took place Saturday between the shortstop and Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez.
A source told Riordan that was Grandal’s “way of kind of rubbing salt in the wound of his fractured relationship with Tim Anderson.”
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Grandal said the report of the physical altercation was “not real” when he was asked about the situation prior to the White Sox’s 5-1 win over the Yankees on Monday.
That same day, MLB handed down suspensions for the White Sox-Guardians brawl.
Anderson has been suspended for six games, Ramirez for three and Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase for one for their involvement.
The report about Anderson and Grandal came a day after former White Sox relief pitcher Keynan Middleton — who was traded to the New York Yankees last week — ripped Chicago’s clubhouse culture.
“We came in with no rules,” Middleton told ESPN. “I don’t know how you police the culture if there are no rules or guidelines to follow because everyone is doing their own thing. Like, how do you say anything about it because there are no rules?
“You have rookies sleeping in the bullpen during the game. You have guys missing meetings. You have guys missing PFPs (pitcher fielding practices), and there are no consequences for any of this stuff.”
Pitcher Lance Lynn, who was acquired by the Dodgers in a trade with the White Sox last month, agreed with Middleton.
“I was there a lot longer than (Middleton) was — he’s not wrong,” Lynn told The Los Angeles Times.
Grandal is in the final year of his contract, while the White Sox hold a $14 million option or a $1 million buyout for the 2024 season.
The White Sox host the Yankees on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
