Ramírez (shoulder) feeling 'much better,' considered day to day

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Breathe easy, Guardians fans. José Ramírez's left shoulder appears to be fine.

Ramírez exited Sunday’s 12-6 win over the A’s after jamming his left shoulder on a slide into third base. However, the Guardians appeared to have dodged a major issue, as manager Stephen Vogt noted that Ramírez was feeling much better on Monday.

“He’s doing much better today,” Vogt said. “Hosey came out of the game with some shoulder soreness, tightness. But he's feeling much, much better today, so we're going to reassess him day by day. He should be just fine in a few days.”

Ramírez had some inflammation in his shoulder on Sunday, but Vogt noted the 33-year-old did not undergo any imaging. The Guardians’ medical staff checked in on how Ramírez felt coming in Monday and tested his shoulder. Given that process and the improvement Ramírez felt overnight, there are no plans right now for him to undergo any imaging.

Ramírez hit a double in the second inning on Sunday and went on to steal third base. He remained in the game in the third inning and the top of the fourth, and was due to hit second in the bottom of the fourth inning. But Ramírez told Vogt he needed to come out of the game, and Carter Kieboom pinch-hit for him.

"[Ramírez] was evaluated postgame," Vogt said. "The big factor was going to be ‘How does he feel coming in today?’ And he felt much better."

Ramírez was in good spirits when he briefly popped into the Guardians’ clubhouse during media availability on Monday, and he was not wearing any wrap on his shoulder. Of course, with Opening Day only 10 days away, the Guardians are going to proceed with an abundance of caution here. There’s no sense in risking further issue with where we’re at on the calendar.

Ramírez all but assuredly would not have played Monday even if he had not jammed his shoulder. A flurry of the Guardians’ regulars were not in the starting lineup for the night game against the Cubs. Ramírez likely would have been back in the lineup Tuesday (and could be).

Given the Guardians have an off-day Wednesday, they could opt to give him three full days off and see how he's feeling for Thursday's matchup against the Royals.

Kieboom drew the start at third on Monday. The 28-year-old is a non-roster invitee in big league camp this year. The Guardians' third-base depth chart otherwise includes Swiss army knife Daniel Schneemann and Gabriel Arias, who is poised to be Cleveland's Opening Day shortstop but can pivot to third given Brayan Rocchio's ability to play short.

Those, of course, are only potential contingency plans in a worst-case scenario the Guardians are hoping they have avoided.

Ramírez has been remarkably durable during his decorated 13-year career, having only gone on the injured list once. In 2019, he underwent surgery for a right hamate fracture on Aug. 26 and was given a timeframe of five to seven weeks before he could return to play.

Ramírez returned to the lineup on Sept. 24, when he went 2-for-3 with two home runs (including a grand slam) and seven RBIs in an 11-0 win over the White Sox.

Even last season, Ramírez appeared in 158 games despite suffering a flurry of injuries. He sprained his right wrist on March 29 against the Royals, sprained his right ankle on May 2 against the Blue Jays, and hurt his right wrist when he was hit by a Kevin Gausman pitch on June 26.

Ramírez has played at least 152 games each of the past five seasons. He’s supremely talented, but his ability to play every day stands out.

“Yeah, it does, especially with how hard he plays,” Vogt said. “But he takes really good care of himself, and Hosey knows his body really well. I think you go back to last year in Toronto, where he fell over first base. While he was on the ground, he said, ‘I'm gonna need one day and I'll be ready to go.’

“He just knows himself really well.”