The Miami Marlins are parting ways with shortstop Tim Anderson. According to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald, he was designated for assignment on Tuesday after a disappointing first half left him without a team.
Anderson, who is just 31, hit .214/.237/.226 for the Marlins in 65 games, committing nine errors at shortstop. He had hoped to rebuild his value when he signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Marlins in February, but instead he continued his slide, a huge one for a player who less than two years ago was putting up numbers that could have earned him a massive contract extension.
Anderson was drafted with the 17th overall pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2013, had a career .288/.316/.442 stat line through 2022 and was the 2019 American League batting champion. He also made two All-Star appearances and won a Silver Slugger.
But Anderson’s 2023 season wasn’t on the same level as his previous career. He finished the season with an uncharacteristic .245/.286/.296 batting line in Chicago, and the White Sox declined his $14 million option. He ended up with the Marlins, but they’re now in Anderson’s rearview mirror.
So what caused Anderson’s massive slump in 2023, ultimately leading to him being DFA’d on July 2? It could all go back to a knee injury he suffered early in the 2023 season.
Anderson sprained his MCL on April 10, 2023, just 11 games into the season. He had started out strong, but that didn’t continue after he returned. When he returned on May 2, he wasn’t the Tim Anderson he had been before. From that point on, he hit just .238 the rest of the season.
Late in the 2023 season, Anderson told MLB.com writer Scott Merkin that the MCL injury had changed his body mechanics, particularly his lead leg (the one he steps with when hitting), where the injury was located. He struggled to feel comfortable at the plate the rest of the season and hasn’t been the same since.
If Anderson can fix what ails him, there’s a chance he could return to the majors at some point. But without a serious change, Anderson’s major league career could be over.
