Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson apologized to the family of Jackie Robinson on Thursday for calling White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson ‘‘Jackie’’ during a game Saturday in New York.
Donaldson also claimed he and Anderson ‘‘have a mutual understanding.’’
Anderson and other Sox declined to comment.
‘‘We’re moving on,’’ said closer Liam Hendriks, who blasted Donaldson on Sunday for saying his ‘‘Jackie’’ taunt was an inside joke. ‘‘Game against the Red Sox today.’’
It was five days after the incident, and a Sox spokesman said Anderson also preferred to stop the back-and-forths.
Donaldson issued a statement, breaking his silence for the first time since Major League Baseball fined him an undisclosed amount and suspended him for one game Monday. Donaldson is appealing.
‘‘First and foremost, I have the utmost respect for what Tim Anderson brings to the game of baseball,’’ Donaldson said in a statement. ‘‘I stated over the weekend that I apologized for offending Tim and that it was a misunderstanding based on multiple exchanges between us over the years. My view of that exchange hasn’t changed and I absolutely meant no disrespect. In the past, it had never been an issue. Now that it is, we have a mutual understanding.
‘‘I would also like to apologize to Mrs. Rachel Robinson and the Jackie Robinson family for any distress this incident may have caused. Jackie was a true American hero, and I hold his name in the highest regard.’’
Donaldson said Saturday that he jokingly had called Anderson ‘‘Jackie’’ in the past. Anderson acknowledged that Tuesday and said Donaldson was ‘‘trying to provoke me.’’
Reliever Kelly lands on IL
The Sox put right-handed reliever Joe Kelly on the 15-day injured list with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring and recalled left-handed reliever Tanner Banks from Triple-A Charlotte to take Kelly’s place in the bullpen.
Kelly left the Sox’ 3-1 victory Wednesday against the Red Sox after striking out Franchy Cordero and Trevor Story in the eighth inning.
‘‘It wasn’t mechanically from what I was doing,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘It was just a little bit of a different landing spot and kind of a different angle of attack on the pitch.’’
A reasonable expectation is that Kelly will be out for three to four weeks.
‘‘Just follow their lead and don’t do anything dumb while rehabbing,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘Strengthen it up and get ready to throw.’’
Kelly signed a two-year, $17 million contract as a free agent in March. He has pitched in seven games after starting the season on the IL with a nerve injury in his right biceps.
Banks, who has a 3.00 ERA in 18 innings, was optioned to Charlotte when left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer returned from the IL on Sunday.
Here come the Cubs
The pitching matchups for the two-game series against the Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field: Keegan Thompson (4-0, 1.54 ERA) against Johnny Cueto (0-0, 0.00) on Saturday and Marcus Stroman (2-4, 4.71) against Dylan Cease (4-2, 4.24) on Sunday.
The Sox took both games from the Cubs on May 3-4 at Wrigley Field.
