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White Sox hand Sale 5-day suspension for clubhouse incident

Rick Osentoski / USA TODAY Sports

Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale has been suspended five days by the team due to a clubhouse incident prior to Saturday's game with the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox announced Sunday.

Sale was removed from the clubhouse just hours before his start and reportedly sent home after expressing his displeasure with wearing the team's throwback jersey. When the White Sox wouldn't comply with his request to use different uniforms, Sale reportedly went into the clubhouse and cut up the jerseys so they couldn't be worn in the game.

"Chris has been suspended for violating team rules, for insubordination, and destroying team equipment," general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. "While we all appreciate Chris' talent and passion, there is a correct way and an incorrect way to express concerns about team rules and organizational expectations."

Hahn acknowledged Sunday that Sale is a passionate individual and that the two spoke at length with the intentions of keeping the issue internal. Hahn also said that Sale has, at no point, asked to be traded.

Saturday's incident was the second time Sale has taken issue with the front office this season. He called out vice president Ken Williams in the spring after he put a stop to Adam LaRoche having his son Drake in the locker room. Sale called the decision "B.S." and said Williams told the team a "bald-faced" lie.

"We had perhaps the opportunity to discipline him back in spring and as an organization we decided to not do that," Hahn said. "Yesterday crossed a different line. We felt it was now appropriate to take disciplinary action."

The suspension began Saturday and runs through Wednesday.

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