CHICAGO — The recreation was on the road this previous Sunday for the White Sox, trailing the Cardinals, 4-3 within the backside of the tenth, however with runners on second and third and two outs.
Tim Anderson was on the plate, which from 2019-22, not solely would have been the optimum state of affairs for the White Sox, however a state of affairs they tried to rearrange. In this occasion, Anderson struck out swinging on 5 pitches after leaping forward at 2-0 in opposition to left-handed reliever JoJo Romero.
It has been that kind of dismal first half for the White Sox shortstop, who enters Atlanta this weekend with a stunningly off-kilter .223/.259/.263 slash line over 290 plate appearances and 67 video games. He has 9 doubles and one triple, however has not hit a house run since July 15 at Target Field.
These struggles had been a supply of frustration for the two-time All-Star, who had a .318 common, 51 homers and 85 doubles from 2019-22. But in a chat with MLB.com previous to the All-Star break, Anderson defined an understanding of the struggles and a spotlight to combat again.
“I’ve have been working. I have been hitting, hitting a ton,” Anderson mentioned. “It’s simply a part of the method. It’s going to assist me sooner or later. We can’t see it but, but it surely’s one thing that everyone has their flip of going via one thing.
“I just have been through a lot. Keep grinding it out and keep working. Just understanding and believing. Keep going out there every day and keep competing.”
Similar struggles plagued Anderson in ’18, when he completed with a slash line of .241/.280/.406, though he hit 20 homers with 28 doubles. In ’19, Anderson bounced again to steer MLB with a .335 common. He produced an OPS above .800 from 2019-21.
Injuries have performed a component in every of Anderson’s previous two campaigns, together with his ’22 season ending on Aug. 6 as a result of a sagittal tear band on the center finger of his left hand that required surgical procedure. He has handled a sprained left knee and a sore proper shoulder in ’23, however added his physique feels good and he feels again to himself.
There aren’t any excuses from Anderson, however as an alternative an acceptance with a want to shortly enhance.
“No, it’s going how it’s supposed to, how it was written out,” Anderson mentioned. “I’ve achieved every little thing, all of the work, to attempt to change it. Just preserve grinding, preserve hustling. Just preserve having religion, preserve believing.
“I’ve been here before, so I think it’s just keep working. And just a moment to realize what’s really going on and understand at the end of the day, it’s all a learning process. I’m sold out to the process. One thing is I won’t quit. I’ll just keep grinding out, keep hustling and know that all this is going to make me better at the end of the day. Just embrace it.”
Confidence isn’t a problem for the 30-year-old, as he nonetheless believes in his immense capacity.
“For sure. I still believe I’m one of the best to ever do it,” Anderson mentioned. “That’s just the mentality I always have. That way you never feel defeated. I know I got every tool in the box plus one. This spot ain’t doing anything but sharpening all my other tools. It’s just a moment for me to keep going. It’s cool. I’m going to keep working for sure.”
“Throughout his career, you get used to the .320, .330 every year,” White Sox second baseman Elvis Andrus mentioned. “But it’s part of the game. He’s a human, too, and he’s learning. He’s probably very disappointed, but I still believe in him. He’s going to regroup [during the All-Star break], use it and recharge for the second half.”
The White Sox have a $14 million membership possibility (with a $1 million buyout) on Anderson for ’24 His struggles have diminished his commerce worth within the current, however the White Sox are decidedly higher when Anderson is on track offensively. Fortunes may change shortly and return Anderson to be the crew’s driving pressure.
“That’s what I’m saying. I can always change the narrative,” Anderson mentioned. “I can hit one home run and change the total story. I’m always in control of that narrative. The biggest thing is to worry about myself and what I can control and worry about the people around me who love me and compete every day.”
Content Source: www.mlb.com