Jose Ramirez didn’t hide what’s been going on.
After Cleveland’s 11-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, the Guardians star spoke candidly about the hamate fracture that sent him to surgery earlier this season and the lingering effects that can come with it. Ramirez returned in July after missing more than a month, but the production has not fully matched his usual standard.
“It's a blend of dealing with pain, but also recovering the strength. Many times you feel that weakness when you're hitting, it's been only two months,” Ramirez said via interpreter.
“People forget that that's a very serious injury. It takes some time to recover, but we want to be in a good spot, trying to find the ways how to get better every day.”
That admission came after one of his better games of the season. Ramirez went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI against Kansas City, giving Cleveland a big lift as it tries to stay in the race.
Even with Sunday’s burst, Ramirez’s season line sits at .243/.339/.393 through 103 games. He has 11 home runs, 24 doubles and 31 stolen bases.
The numbers are down, but the Guardians still have plenty to lean on from him as the stretch run approaches. Cleveland is 3.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central, and it currently holds the final AL Wild Card spot.
The Guardians are off Monday before opening a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field on Tuesday night.
In Other News...
Guardians Are Letting A Valuable David Fry Advantage Go To Waste
David Frys double in the fourth inning against the Royals was a reminder of what the Guardians have available when they actually put him in the lineup. It was his first hit since July 2, and it came after a stretch that included a demotion to Triple-A before he was brought back because of an injury on the roster. Even then, his path back has not translated into steady playing time, which has left one of the clubs more flexible pieces sitting more than contributing.
That is part of what makes Fry such an interesting option for Cleveland right now. His defensive versatility gives the team a way to patch together different spots, but the Guardians have not fully leaned into that value since his return. For a club trying to squeeze production out of every roster spot, leaving a player with that kind of utility on the margins feels like a missed chance. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Need To Act Fast On Two Core Extensions
The Guardians have built this stretch of the season around a young core that is helping keep them in the thick of the 2026 playoff race, and it is getting harder to ignore the business side of that success. Gavin Williams is moving toward arbitration and, eventually, free agency, which makes him the kind of pitcher Cleveland has every reason to think about locking up before the price climbs any higher.
Chase DeLauter brings a different kind of question, but the same urgency. His offensive performance has been encouraging enough to make him a real part of the clubs future plans, even if the injury history adds some hesitation on both sides. For a front office that values cost certainty as much as upside, the timing on a possible extension for DeLauter may matter just as much as the decision on Williams. [Read more 🡒]
Cleveland Fans Have One Last Shot At September Ballpark Giveaways
September is stacked with one more round of ballpark promotions across Northeast Ohio, giving fans of the Guardians, RubberDucks, Captains and Crushers a final chance to chase down a giveaway or two before the calendar flips. The slate includes themed nights, fan-appreciation touches and family-friendly activities, with the usual mix of bobbleheads, jersey hoodies and other souvenirs that keep stadium crowds moving through the gates a little earlier than usual.
The appeal goes beyond the merch, too, because these events are built to pull in kids, families and casual fans who want a little extra around the baseball. With dates, start times, venue addresses and parking details all laid out, the only real question is which night becomes the must-hit stop for collectors trying to squeeze in one more ballpark trip this month. [Read more 🡒]