When Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez were all lost to injury at the same time, the Cleveland Guardians were in first place in the AL Central. At the end of the day on June 13, they had a one-half game lead over the Chicago White Sox.
Now, entering play on June 30, they are in second place in the division. Fortunately, the White Sox have not been able to take more advantage of the Guardians’ circumstances, and the deficit is just one game heading into the second half of the season.
Still needing to overcome the absence of Ramirez for a while longer, the Guardians have made a concerning move in Bleacher Report’s latest power rankings, falling from No. 11 to No. 12.
“The Guardians are now 5-7 since Jose Ramirez suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand on June 13, and with an expected recovery timetable of 5-7 weeks following surgery, they will need to continue to tread water. A starting staff that ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.66 ERA will need to shoulder the load,” Joel Reuter wrote.
By way of comparison, the White Sox are No. 9 in the rankings. Chicago is 7-7 since Cleveland’s multiple injuries.
DeLauter recently returned from the injured list, and he showed no signs of the fractured rib in helping the Guardians to a comeback win against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. He also went 2-for-4 in a loss to the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Martinez is also working his way back from an injured foot suffered earlier this month against the Detroit Tigers. His original recovery timeline was 4-6 weeks, so the Guardians may err on the side of caution and keep him out beyond the All-Star break, which ends July 16.
But the biggest potential return is Ramirez’s. As the Guardians’ best player and veteran leader, his absence from the lineup has been noticeable, even though the team has been able to play near .500 baseball without him.
At the time of the injuries, the Guardians would have had a comfortable lead in the wild-card race. Now, multiple teams have drawn closer, including the division rival Minnesota Twins, who have made up 3.5 games in the standings in that time and are just 3.5 behind Cleveland.
So, the sooner Ramirez can contribute, the better, but the Guardians also have to be careful not to bring him back too soon.
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