"I thought it was a low blow" - When Yasmani Grandal reflected on Josh Donaldson's remarks on Tim Anderson that caused a massive uproar

Former MLB slugger Josh Donaldson announced his retirement earlier this month. At the age of 38, Donaldson illustrated his 13-season career with several notable achievements, including an MVP title in 2015.

He played with teams like the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, sharing several iconic moments.

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, in his book, '62: Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees and the Pursuit of Greatness,' shared the story of an on-field tussle between Donaldson and the former Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal over an alleged racist remark to Tim Anderson.

It was May 2022, and Donaldson freshly landed in New York from Minnesota with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt. He got a lineup against the White Sox on March 21. But little did he know that it’d be inked with one of his worst career moments.

After reaching the second base in the second inning, Donaldson tried to speak with Anderson to break the tensions. However, that backfired in the worst way possible.

“What’s up, Jackie?” Donaldson called Anderson during the game.

Anderson chose not to pay attention to the provocation until the next inning when both players crossed paths again. This time, Anderson snapped and engaged in a verbal argument, but things cooled down a little after both players returned to the dugout.

When everything seemed settled, in the fifth inning, Grandal exchanged some words behind the plate when Donaldson came to hit. Their heated altercation cleared both the team's bench.

“This game went through a period of time where a lot of those comments were made, and I think we’re way past that. It’s just unacceptable,” Grandal said.

“I thought it was a low blow, and I’m going to make sure I’ve got my team’s back. There’s no way you’re allowed to say something like that. It’s unacceptable.”

Josh Donaldson paid heavily for a "joke"

There were no ejections in that game. However, Josh Donaldson faced heat from the White Sox members for his racist remark to Anderson.

“[He] made a racist comment, and that’s all I’m going to say. That’s as strong as it gets,” then-White Sox manager Tony La Russa told the press.

In his defense, Donaldson stated:

“In 2019, when I played for Atlanta, we actually joked about that,” Donaldson said. “I don’t know what’s changed." … "It was just off an interview what he called himself. We said that before, we joked about it. Obviously, he deemed that it was disrespectful, and look, if he did, I apologize. That’s not what I was trying to do.”

Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, gave Donaldson a one-game suspension with a fine, which surprised the Chicago members who were expecting much firm judgment from the league.