CLEVELAND -- José Ramírez’s comeback from left hamate surgery has not been linear, but manager Stephen Vogt said the 33-year-old has continued to progress since he made his return to the Guardians’ lineup on July 22.
There is a give and take here, however, as the Guardians also continue to be mindful of Ramírez as he works back to feeling fully like himself. We saw as much again on Friday, when Ramírez was out of the starting lineup for Cleveland’s series opener against the Padres at Progressive Field.
“Hosey’s progressing really well,” Vogt said. “It's a matter of keeping him progressing -- much to his dismay, because he wants to be in there every day. But we have to do what's right.”
Ramírez came off the 10-day injured list on July 22 after bypassing a rehab assignment. His return came five weeks and one day after he underwent hamate surgery. In other words, he came back at the very front end of the five-to-seven-week window the Guardians forecast for him post-surgery.
When Ramírez was activated, Vogt noted that the Guardians would be mindful of how much he plays and when. That has been a continued process, as Ramírez has started in 16 of Cleveland’s past 21 games. Friday was an off-day after he started each of the Guardians’ three games in Detroit this week.
Vogt said Ramírez is set to be back in the lineup on Saturday, and he could be available off the bench on Friday based upon how he’s feeling. That is the central focus for the Guardians as they navigate this situation now.
“Hosey's working every day,” Vogt said. “Our medical staff's doing a great job, but we have to be smart about this. Of course we want him in there every day, but it's just not possible right now.”
There’s perhaps a question here as to whether Ramírez’s return could have come later than it did, though he and the Guardians’ training staff were in agreement he was ready when he came back.
Ramírez has been working to find his way offensively since he came off the IL. In 18 games, he’s gone 12-for-61 (.197) with zero extra-base hits. He has drawn 12 walks in 75 plate appearances (while recording a .333 on-base percentage), scored 11 runs and stolen five bases.
Hamate injuries can be tricky, and players in previous instances have taken some time to fully get their power back. Vogt acknowledged Ramírez recovering from this specific injury is likely related to the numbers we’ve seen him put up since he came off the IL.
“I think it probably has everything to do with it,” Vogt said. “He had hamate surgery. He's coming back from a surgery. You see this across the league with guys that have this procedure done. It takes some time to get all the inflammation out and to get back to feeling 100 percent.
“But the thing about Hosey is that, even though there may not be the power, he's still impacting games and getting on base. It seems like every time he gets on base, he scores.”
Of course, Ramírez’s numbers pre-injury were down from his elite standard. He hit 18 doubles and 10 home runs in 72 games, logging a .418 slugging percentage that would have been his lowest since 2015 (.340).
There have been some good signs lately. In the ninth inning of the Guardians’ 3-0 loss to the Tigers on Thursday, Ramírez hit a lineout to the right-field warning track, which had a 101.5 mph exit velocity. Vogt was encouraged by Ramírez attacking a 3-0 pitch in the fifth inning of last Friday’s 8-2 win over the White Sox. He fouled off that 95 mph four-seam fastball from right-hander David Sandlin.
Angel Genao (ranked as the Guardians’ No. 1 prospect and No. 29 overall by MLB Pipeline) drew his fourth career start at third base in Ramírez’s stead on Friday. The 22-year-old (who made his MLB debut on Aug. 5) has also drawn four starts at second base.
Genao is 8-for-27 (.296) with one double, one home run, three RBIs and two walks with two strikeouts over his first eight games entering Friday.