Guardians Star Could Still Be Poised For A Big Second Half

The Cleveland Guardians have been dealing with the very unfamiliar circumstance of playing without third baseman Jose Ramirez. One of the most durable players in the game has been sidelined for almost a month due to a wrist injury.

The Guardians have surely felt his absence, with an 8-11 record in the 19 games he’s missed. Cleveland also fell out of first place in the AL Central after entering June with a 2.0-game lead over the Chicago White Sox.

Ramirez’s recovery from left hamate surgery was put at 5-7 weeks, which will keep him out beyond the upcoming All-Star break. There is also the question of what the 33-year-old will be capable of once he does get back into the lineup.

MLB.com analyst Brent Maguire said he believes that the Guardians star could still be poised for a big second half, even after an uncharacteristic first half before his injury.

“One of the underrated aspects of Ramírez’s greatness is his durability. With the star third baseman being on the injured list since June 14 with a left hamate fracture, Ramírez won’t reach 150 games for the first time in a season (excluding the shortened 2020 season) since 2019. Even though he wasn’t performing quite up to his usual level (.757 OPS in 2026, career .852 OPS), Ramírez could easily turn that around when he returns, and give the Guardians a boost to win the AL Central,” Maguire wrote.

Ramirez got off to a very slow start to the campaign, with a .133 batting average and .464 OPS after 11 games. His batting average was still languishing at .207 on May 13, but at the time of his injury, he had improved to a slash line of .239/.339/.418 with 10 home runs.

The 14-year veteran did not make the AL All-Star team for the first time in five seasons, and another 30-30 campaign is likely out of the question, even though Ramirez already has 24 stolen bases. But even modest contributions to the lineup will help the Guardians in their attempt to win the AL Central for a third straight year.

Ramirez has been ramping up his activity and recently began hitting off a tee. He is expected to face some live pitching in the near future.

After recovering from a similar surgery to his right hand in 2019, Ramirez hit two home runs and seven RBIs in his first game back, and while that should not be expected this time around, it is a good sign that he knows how to handle himself regarding this particular injury.