Yermin Mercedes says it’s all love between he and White Sox manager Tony La Russa

Chicago White Sox star Yermin Mercedes says his relationship with manager Tony La Russa is all good despite drama over unwritten rules.

It hasn’t exactly been easy for Yermin Mercedes since he swung at a 3-0 pitch for a home run against the Twins.

He’s hit just one home run in 17 games since White Sox manager Tony La Russa publically chastised him for breaking baseball’s unwritten rules.

There has been plenty of debate in the baseball world about who was right and wrong in that situation. La Russa has been criticized for not having his player’s back. Rumors of losing the clubhouse have swirled.

Despite all that, Mercedes isn’t feeding the idea that he’s at odds with the manager.

“Tony’s always big with me. He loves me. We’re together all the time,” Mercedes said, per James Fegan of The Athletic.

Yermin Mercedes insists he and White Sox manager Tony La Russa are cool

Mercedes’ comments came after his walk-off single beat the Tigers on Friday night. It was his only hit of the game, but he made it count extra.

The 28-year-old rookie may not want to make a big deal out of the La Russa situation, but it’s clearly impacted him. Before the infamous moment, he was one of the hottest hitters in the game, averaging .364/.410/.574.

Since then, he’s batting .153/.239/.203 with nine hits, one home run and six RBI.

The White Sox will hope he’s being truthful about his relationship with La Russa and that his recent walk-off will spark his confidence.

He still has the best batting average on the team, even with his recent slump. Only Jose Abreu has more home runs and RBI.

Chicago has the fourth-best record in baseball at 35-23. They’re just behind the Rays in the American League.