Tim Anderson gets candid about the mental toll of his fight with Jose Ramírez

Tim Anderson returned to the MLB spotlight on Jan. 22 when it was announced he signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The "Talkin' Baseball" podcast mentioned it on X/Twitter, and the replies to the post painted a picture of baseball fans doubting his ability to see the comeback all the way through.

It's highly possible his on-field brawl with Jose Ramirez hasn't been forgotten. A.J. Pierzynski had the embattled former All-Star on his show and broached the subject the way you'd expect — by breaking the ice with a joke. "You and I are in a particular club together. Do you know what that club is?" Pierzynski asked.

"No, what club is that?" Anderson replied.

"We both got freaking punched in the face on national television," Pierzynski said. "So we've both been through it."

Pierzynski would go on about how he's signed a million pictures of the blow Michael Barrett landed in the infamous Crosstown Classic between the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs.

He said he still laughs about it to this day and asked Tim Anderson "Did it affect you in any way?" Anderson adjusted in his seat before offering this candid reply.

"I was going through sh*t before that happened... but moments happen," Anderson responded.

"I understood a lot of things in that moment. I understood what love was. Who really is your teammate. Who really got your back. Who's really in your corner. So I could say I understand those in that moment for sure," Anderson added.

While the former shortstop didn't directly blame the fight for his noticeable decline, you could still tell he harbors pent up animosity about it.

Tim Anderson focused on the future, not the past

Much has occurred off the playing field for Tim Anderson over the last few years. He has three children with his wife Bria Anderson, but also has a child outside of the marriage. "The sh*t" Anderson referred to in the interview with A.J. Pierzynski could've had everything to do with dealing with the infidelity behind the scenes.

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Baltimore Orioles - Source: Imagn

Before baseball fans chalk his comeback up to a wasted effort, let us not forget how good of a baseball player Tim Anderson was throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was voted to the American League All-Star team both seasons and also has a Silver Slugger Award to his credit.

Everyone loves a good comeback story. Instead of doubting him, maybe it's time to see if he can't make something of this second chance.