Tim Anderson is coming to the majors

The Jimmy Rollins/Tyler Saladino combination held off the inevitable all the way until June 10. The White Sox are calling up top prospect Tim Anderson.

Anderson will join the White Sox today as first reported by @barstoolWSD. He figures to be part of the starting lineup against the Royals

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) June 10, 2016

Anderson has hit .304/.325/.409  with 11 stolen bases in Triple-A Charlotte this year, with stark platoon splits. More encouragingly, after an early transition period, he has hit .337/.368/.476 with a 19.4 strikeout rate since May 1 with no signs of slowing down, with five multi-hit games this month already. His athleticism is top-notch, his bat speed is tremendous, and the hope is that those qualities can keep his head above water while the rough transition to the majors challenges his raw approach and lack of refinement on defense.

Too much has been made of Anderson’s minor league walk rates, as he’s never going to be Jack Cust, but he has an aggressive plate approach that will likely be exploited early on. And while he could dust pretty much anyone on the roster in a foot race, Anderson’s hands at short have led many, like 2080 Baseball’s Mauricio Rubio, to estimate that his future could be in center field.

The tolerance for Anderson’s likely early struggles has been built up by both Saladino and Rollins, the latter of which is now DFA’d, showing they are incapable of holding down a starting role. Anderson might be raw, but the Sox have gotten a .621 OPS from the shortstop slot, and where Rollins and Saladino are lacking in upside, Anderson is packed to the gills.

Anderson is coming up to play, and he’s the most meaningful White Sox position prospect in a decade, so there should be every expectation that the shortstop position is his for the remainder of the year barring absurd and unprecedented struggles. While center field may well indeed be an ideal home for his skill set, the Sox are committing to him at short, and upgrades they seek over the next two months will look to fit around him, not in front of him.

Indeed, there is nothing standing in front of Tim Anderson at all anymore.

Lead Image Credit: Rick Scuteri // USA Today Sports Images