When Is Tim Anderson Coming Back for the Chicago White Sox?
By Ben Heisler
The Chicago White Sox' rocky season continues to remain on shaky ground, as one of their All-Stars won't be available for the next several weeks.
Shortstop Tim Anderson tore a ligament in his hand and will now be out 4-6 weeks; according to National MLB insider Russell Dorsey.
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson will be out 4-6 weeks with a torn ligament in his hand, source tells @BallySports and @Stadium. Surgery is a possibility.
— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) August 9, 2022
Anderson reportedly suffered the injury on a check swing in the White Sox' 8-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday before flying home Sunday to get his hand checked out.
With a 4-6 week timeline, the earliest Anderson would return is likely back home on Tuesday, September 13 vs. the Colorado Rockies at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. If it's closer to six weeks, they may try to get him back before a crucial series on September 27 in Minnesota vs. the Twins.
Tim Anderson returned home Sunday night to have left hand examined. Occurred during final at-bat Saturday at Texas. He’s serving last game of suspension in Game 1 today.
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) August 9, 2022
Team will have an update Anderson’s status.
Expect White Sox Playoff Odds Keep Dropping
Chicago continues to play lackluster baseball despite the AL Central division being right there for the taking. The Sox still find themselves in third place at 55-53; only two back of the Minnesota Twins and a game behind the Cleveland Guardians.
Without Anderson available this year, Chicago has gone 13-16 this season, so losing him for a month-plus could wind up being costly.
Do the oddsmakers agree?
While consensus lines have Minnesota as the top overall favorite in the AL Central, Chicago still remains second on the board ahead of Cleveland. In fact, over at DraftKings Sportsbook, the White Sox are still the favorites at +135 to take the AL Central this year, with the Twins slightly behind at +155.
Chicago also holds higher consensus odds to win the AL Pennant and World Series ahead of both Minnesota and Cleveland; coming in at +1800.
If the Sox continue to tread water, they may still have a shot even without Anderson in the lineup, but all it takes is a massive winning streak by one team to break away from the pack, and all indications are Chicago may not have enough to keep up, despite what the oddsmakers suggest.
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