Tim Anderson has been in the shadows for a while, not having seen a baseball field since early August when he suffered a tear in the sagittal band of his left middle finger that effectively ended his season in 2022.
At the World Baseball Classic with Team USA, however, he's making himself known.
“I’m always out to prove something,” Anderson said to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. “Just to be among some of the greats, I just get a chance for the world to see what kind of athlete I am. And also the guys get to know what kind of person I am, the human being.”
MORE: Team USA beats Canada 12-1 in 2023 World Baseball Classic
According to the report done by Rosenthal, Anderson has turned heads in the Team USA clubhouse with his energy, determination and his play on the field. The story writes, as one example, how Anderson rose through the ranks in practice, moving from batting group Group 3 to Group 2 in practice.
He told the team's manager, Mark DeRosa, “I’ll be in Group 1 by the time we get to Miami,” – the site of the WBC’s final round. According to Rosenthal, DeRosa loved the competitive spirit it showed. And it translated directly on the field, as DeRosa set Anderson loose at shortstop for USA's game against Mexico, then at second base for their game against Canada on Monday.
Against Canada, he and his White Sox teammate, Lance Lynn, shined. Anderson recorded two hits in three at-bats, smacking a ball to the opposite field for a triple. He also recorded a walk and a steal along with an RBI. Lynn, on the other hand, held his own for five innings on the mound, allowing one earned run and two hits while striking out six batters.
MLB
So far, Anderson is slashing .571/.625/1.000 from the batter's box between two games in the WBC. But it's not just the on-field execution from Anderson that's catching the club's attention, it's the energy and grit he brings to practice and games.
“I do think when you play in the WBC, it’s a feeling-out process at first,” DeRosa said. “He kind of wanted to let some people know how good he was in that dugout, in that clubhouse, the coaching staff, down the line. He has really caught the eyes of a lot of people on this team.”
Sounds like Anderson felt his absence from last season's contests and is making up for lost ground. Hopefully, he brings the same palpable energy to the White Sox amid another highly touted season for the South Side.
Team USA plays against Colombia on Wednesday.