Jose Ramirez, the best player on the Cleveland Guardians and one of the most consistent performers in MLB over the last decade, had been enjoying a well-deserved break.
He is among the league leaders in RBI with 62 and has 18 home runs to his name already, but missed the last couple of games to witness the birth of his child.
Now that he is ready to return from paternity leave, the Guards needed to create some space on the active roster.
To do that, they made the sligthly surprising decision to option first baseman Kyle Manzardo to Triple-A.
“The Guardians have optioned Kyle Manzardo and activated José Ramírez from the paternity list,” Guardians insider Mandy Bell tweeted.
The Guardians have optioned Kyle Manzardo and activated José Ramírez from the paternity list.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) June 18, 2024
The Guardians have been unable to guarantee everyday at-bats for Manzardo, mainly because he isn’t producing at the moment.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Manzardo is hitting a disappointing .207/.241/.329 with no home runs, 10 doubles and a .571 OPS in 82 at-bats.
More than ever before, prospects who come up from Double-A and Triple-A are having trouble adjusting to MLB pitching.
We have seen it with even the best prospects in the game: Jackson Holliday, Wyatt Langford, and many others.
Manzardo, however, doesn’t have too much left to prove in the minors.
The first baseman hit an impressive .303/.375/.642 with nine home runs in 128 trips to the plate in Triple-A Columbus while also enjoying a successful season last year.
Still, his time will eventually come, and he is better off getting regular at-bats down in the minor leagues for now.
As for Ramirez, he will slot right into the top of the Guardians lineup, where he belongs.
NEXT: Guardians Insider Highlights Steven Kwan's Historic Pace
