José Ramírez is still giving the Guardians value. He just isn’t giving them the version they’re used to.
That’s the central problem in Cleveland right now, and it starts with the hand injury that has kept one of baseball’s most reliable hitters from doing the one thing he’s built a career on: driving the ball over the fence. According to Paul Hoynes and Joe Noga on the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, Ramírez is dealing with ongoing soreness and pain after surgery to remove the hook of the hamate bone, and there’s no sign of a quick turnaround before the season ends.
Noga put it bluntly on the podcast: “You don’t get a sense that he’s going to feel fully comfortable again until he’s had some extended time to let that hand heal,” he said. “And that’s just not going to be the case between now and the end of the year.”
The most obvious sign of the issue is the power outage. Hoynes pointed out that Ramírez “still hasn’t hit a home run since June 6.” For a player who has spent nearly a decade piling up big extra-base damage and living in the middle of opposing game plans, that’s a stunning stretch.
Still, the podcast discussion made clear that Ramírez isn’t disappearing. He’s just going to have to help Cleveland in different ways.
“He can hit a sacrifice fly. He can steal a base.
When he gets on, he’s maybe still one of the best base stealers in baseball,” Hoynes said on the podcast. “And yesterday he played some great defense at third base.”
That’s the version the Guardians may have to live with: a star who can still manufacture runs, pressure pitchers, and save them runs with his glove, even if the home run threat is muted. Ramírez also delivered a small sign of life over the weekend, picking up his first double since June 13th on Saturday.
Noga compared the situation to Ramírez’s 2022 thumb injury, another hand-related problem that wiped out some of his power in the second half. Back then, the question was whether he could still be productive without the long ball.
The answer was yes. The same logic applies now, even if it asks for an adjustment from a player whose offensive identity has always been tied to impact hits.
That matters even more for a Guardians lineup that’s already had trouble scoring consistently. When Ramírez is fully healthy, pitchers have to treat him like a threat to change the game with one swing. When that power is reduced, everything about the at-bat shifts - and the rest of the lineup feels it too.
For Cleveland, that’s the reality of the stretch run: Ramírez can still help, but the Guardians probably won’t get the full force of his bat the rest of the way.
In Other News...
Former Guardians Infielder Gabriel Arias Is Back In Limbo Again
Gabriel Arias is back in roster purgatory after the Mets designated the infielder for assignment and moved Christopher Morel onto their 40-man roster from Triple-A Syracuse. Arias had barely settled in after being claimed off waivers from the Guardians, appearing in just two games for New York, and the latest move only adds to a career that has already seen him struggle to find offensive footing in the majors.
Because Arias is out of minor league options, the next step is not especially simple, and that is what makes this another tense pause in his career. Another club could decide to take a chance on him, and if he gets through waivers, the Mets would still have the ability to keep him in the organization by sending him to Syracuse. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Fans Have A New Reason To Revisit The Patrick Bailey Trade
The trade that sent Matt Wilkinson from Cleveland to San Francisco earlier this season is suddenly looking a little more relevant on the baseball calendar. The left-hander has continued working his way through the Giants system, and he has now put himself on the verge of the majors, giving Guardians fans a fresh reason to keep one eye on what comes next for the deal.
San Francisco is expected to bring Wilkinson up soon, though the club has not yet said whether hell be used as a starter or out of the bullpen. His first big-league appearance could come quickly, and the timing adds an extra layer for Cleveland followers who are still tracking how the Patrick Bailey trade tree is unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians First Base Problem May Have A New Internal Answer
Clevelands first base search has already taken a few turns this season, with the club bringing in Nathaniel Lowe and sending Kyle Manzardo down after trying to stabilize a spot that never really settled. Now there may be another internal option gaining traction in Ralphy Velazquez, the organizations No. 2 overall prospect, who has been working his way through Triple-A and starting to look more comfortable there.
Velazquez has flashed real production at the level, posting a .264/.348/.494 line with 14 home runs in 63 games, and that kind of progress is hard to ignore for a team still looking for a long-term answer at first. The next checkpoint comes with roster expansion on Sept. 1, when Cleveland will have to decide whether his recent surge is enough to earn a look in the majors. [Read more 🡒]