Josh Donaldson Says Yankees' Criticism of Tim Anderson Remark is ‘Tough to Hear'

Donaldson says Yankees’ criticism of Anderson remark is ‘tough to hear’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Josh Donaldson addressed the backlash he faced from his own team after calling Tim Anderson “Jackie” during a White Sox-Yankees game on May 21.

“I think that was tough to hear. For sure,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “Just for the simple fact that I pride myself on being a good teammate. …

“I think part of winning is having a good team chemistry. And I’ve taken pride, like everywhere I went, I’ve always tried to help people try to get better. I’ve tried to learn from my teammates, as well. So that was definitely tough.”

The incident led to a fine and one-game suspension, though Donaldson is appealing it.

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and manager Aaron Boone are among those who have spoken out against Donaldson’s comment. Donaldson issued a written apology to Anderson and Jackie Robinson’s family on May 26. Still, he says he is unsure why the incident escalated the way it did.

“I don’t know why it got to that point,” Donaldson said on Wednesday. “We haven’t had a lot of conversations – let’s be frank. On the field, we’ve talked and we’ve joked and obviously, Tim is a competitor and kind of plays with a chip on his shoulder.”

As Judge suggests, it’s clear there is more work to be done on Donaldson’s part to move past the incident.

“I haven’t spoken to [Donaldson], but that’s something that we’ll handle internally and get it figured out,” Judge said before Wednesday’s game against the Angels. “But he’s a big part of the [leadership] in this room and a lot of guys look to him and that was a tough situation he’s been in.”