CHICAGO — Chicago White Sox star Tim Anderson had his six-game suspension for fighting Cleveland's José Ramírez and triggering a benches-clearing brawl reduced to five games by Major League Baseball on Thursday following an appeal.
Anderson will start serving the punishment Friday, when the White Sox open a three-game series at Colorado. Ramírez served two games after initially being suspended for three.
Anderson was given the harsher penalty for instigating the fight on Aug. 5, when he and Ramirez faced off in the middle of the infield like boxers.
Anderson connected with a couple of punches before Ramirez dropped him with a blow to the face. The fight started after Ramirez slid headfirst into second base between Anderson's legs with an RBI double.