The Guardians are treating Jose Ramirez’s workload with kid gloves, and Saturday’s lineup against the White Sox showed it.
Cleveland held Ramirez out for what Tim Stebbins of MLB.com described as “Just a day off for Ramírez. Guardians have continually said they're going to be mindful of him workload-wise post-hamate surgery.”
That caution comes after Ramirez had surgery on his left hamate bone in June and missed more than a month on the 10-day injured list before returning July 22. Since then, the team has made it clear it wants to avoid any setback as he works back into the grind.
The timing is notable because Cleveland entered Saturday one game below .500 and still chasing a third straight trip to October. A win over Chicago would pull the Guardians to within one game of the White Sox for first place in the American League Central.
Ramirez’s absence also stands out because he has not looked like his usual self at the plate this season. Through 85 games, he is hitting .234 with a .334 on-base percentage, a .720 OPS, 10 home runs and 35 RBIs.
The Guardians have leaned on one of the most dependable players in baseball for years - Ramirez owns seven All-Star selections and six Silver Slugger awards - but this season has been different, both because of the surgery and because the production hasn’t matched his standard.
Angel Genao got the start at third base in Ramirez’s place. Ramirez could still surface later as a pinch-hitter, though the team could also decide to give him the full day off while continuing to manage his recovery carefully.
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Guardians Roster Churn Just Put These Former Top Prospects On Notice
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Kyle Manzardo, George Valera and CJ Kayfus are the names now being watched closest, because the path forward for prospects in Cleveland has become even narrower. Manzardo was moved to Triple-A after the Guardians traded for Nathaniel Lowe, while Kayfus season is over after surgery on a fractured right ankle with ligament damage. Valeras recent performance and the broader uncertainty around the group leave the club with more questions than answers as it keeps sorting out which young bats still fit into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper Ingle Just Became A Real Guardians Lineup Option
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Cleveland has already shuffled its roster recently, and the offense still has room to improve if the club wants more punch in the everyday mix. If those struggles linger, Ingle is suddenly the kind of internal option the Guardians can turn to again, with his production in Columbus making a return trip to Cleveland feel more realistic than it did a month ago. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Could Get A Needed Pitching Boost At The Perfect Time
Ben Lively is edging closer to a return, and the Guardians could use the reinforcement. The right-hander, who signed a minor league deal with Cleveland in February, has already spent two seasons in the organization and is now working his way back from the right forearm strain that has kept him out since May.
He is scheduled to make his fourth rehab start with High-A Lake County as the club pushes toward the season's final stretch. For a pitching staff that can always use another layer of depth, Lively's progress gives Cleveland at least a little more reason to keep an eye on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]