Major League Baseball has been suspended New York Yankees Third baseman Josh Donaldson For one game, “inappropriate comments” were made Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson Saturday
MLB announced that Donaldson, who was also penalized an undisclosed amount for his actions, will appeal the punishment. He will still be eligible to play for Yankees until the appeal is complete.
“MLB has concluded the process of speaking with the individuals involved in this matter. There is no dispute about what was said in the field. No matter what Mr. Donaldson intended, his comment toward Mr. Anderson was rude and poor judgement, especially when considered in context of previous interactions. Furthermore, the remark of Mr. Donaldson was a contributing element in a bench clearing incident between the two teams and warrants discipline,” Michael Hill (MLB's senior vice president, on-field operations), stated in a statement.
After Saturday's game, Donaldson admitted to calling Anderson “Jackie” (a reference to Jackie Robinson) in the first inning. The Yankees third baseman, Donaldson apologized and stated that he did not mean any disrespect.
Anderson, who is Black, stated Saturday that Donaldson's comments offended him, calling them “disrespectful and unnecessary.”
