Guardians star José Ramírez will undergo surgery on his right hand early next month, agent Rafa Nieves tells Enrique Rojas of ESPN (Twitter link). The procedure is not expected to impact his readiness for next Spring Training. Tenchy Rodriguez was first to report (on Twitter) that Ramírez would have to undergo surgery.
Ramírez first suffered the injury midseason, Rojas adds, but he played through the issue as the Guardians ran down and eventually cruised to an AL Central title. He remained in the lineup on a more or less everyday basis, appearing in 157 regular season games and starting all seven of the club’s postseason contests at third base. Ramírez did miss two games in late June due to a right thumb injury but avoided the injured list all season.
Whether directly related to the thumb issue or not, the four-time All-Star slowed down after an otherworldly first few months. Ramírez carried a .292/.389/.641 line through 244 plate appearances on June 13. By measure of wRC+, he was the fifth-best qualified hitter in the game to that point. Ramírez first suffered the thumb injury at some point during a series against the Rockies that ranged from June 14-16, however (link via Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com). From that point forward, he posted a .273/.336/.446 line in 441 trips to the plate. Even the seemingly diminished version of Ramírez was an above-average player, but his second half was well below the MVP-caliber form he’s shown at his best.
After Cleveland’s elimination at the hands of the Yankees yesterday, Ramírez has decided to go under the knife. The expectation is that the issue will be corrected in plenty of time so as not to interrupt his preparation for next season. Assuming all goes according to plan, the 30-year-old should head into 2023 as one of the top handful of players in the sport.
Ramírez signed a team-friendly seven-year contract extension with Cleveland in Spring Training, ensuring he remains with the only organization he’s ever known. He’s due $119MM over the next six seasons, a bargain for the kind of production on both sides of the ball he provides at his peak. He’ll remain the integral piece of a young Cleveland lineup that was roughly average overall this season. The Guardians got solid contributions from a number of young players (i.e. Steven Kwan, Óscar González and Andrés Giménez) and will look to build off this year’s surprising division title over the coming seasons.
Rocked the baby a bit too hard? Hit his hand
He wasn’t even the one who did it any the only people who took offense was some overrated 2B who only wish he could have a season like Jose. It was all in good fun and no one is talking about it except a few butt hurt yankee fans and the people who have to respond to them. It was a great run that was good for baseball whether you a Cleveland fan or not. They almost beat a team that was better than them with way less to work with and way less payroll as major underdogs. That was fun to watch. Are you all going do the same thing when Houston steam rolls you cause you got a lesser team. Let the kids play and enjoy the playoffs.
@Spider
I’m not even a yankee fan so suck my bumhole
Doesn’t matter who you root for, you’re a troll. If any player celebrating a home run makes you angry then you’ve got a sad life full of pointless anger ahead of you.
Cheers
That beer they produce in Milwaukee already sucked your bumhole for him……
Yes you are
Why lie?
He spent one of the joyous moments of his life by attempting to ridicule another person. That is what I got out of it. But, to each their own. We are only human.
Clean it first.. eew
You’re wrong. A lot of fans from coast to coast thought the baby move was bush league and said so. It wasn’t all in good fun either. The dude is an immature baseball brat. As for the Indians they’ll look to dump him and find a first baseman. A real one.
A lot of fans coast to coast aren’t cranky old cry babies and didn’t care that he had a good time after he hit a homerun in his home hall park in the playoffs.
@barely, Jose Ramirez wasn’t the one who made the gesture, so why is he guilty?
So two people thought it was bush league? ok.. Dude is just enjoying life. Torres was the only player who seemed to take offense. Of course he has to because no one pays attention to him otherwise, Yanks been trying to send him out of town for awhile. I mean at least the Yanks getting tossed against Houston is some way to set the world right, even if it by those trash bangers.
Love how fans now brag about their team payroll and not attendance.
On behalf of the entire MLB community.. here it is..
Great job, you did it
He wasn’t the one enough even did it. Naylor did and he was just enjoying the game. This was just an overreaction by an overrated 2b no one cares about who has done nothing in this league. Cleveland was a great story for all of baseball this year and example for other teams how to do it right. Let’s enjoy it a team got far and did it a way different way than anyone is doing it. They almost beat a better team with way less to work with. I applaud that. You need to learn to enjoy the ride. Will you Yankees fan still be on a high horse when Houston steam rolls you? Smh
I’m definitely not a Yankees fan, but I’m going to defend them here.
No, Naylor didn’t do that just because he was enjoying the game; he was clearly directing it at someone (probably Cole) based on his body language.
No, Yankees fans aren’t the only ones talking about it. Even people rooting for Cleveland like myself discussed whether or not that was going to come back to haunt him.
Torres may be overrated but he’s accomplished more than Naylor at this point, so it just sounds like you’re mad when making that statement.
Sure, Cleveland was a great story. That doesn’t mean people can’t poke fun back at Naylor. If he’s going to dish it out, he needs to be able to receive it. If you enjoyed watching him rock the baby as a form of trash talk then accept it back or at least just stay quiet, otherwise you’re just a hypocrite.
Unpopular opinion.
Naylor added some excitement to the least exciting first round series. Also gave yankee fans and players a chance to respond the next game.
The who’s your daddy chant was fun, as was the rocking of the baby. It’s fun. No need for anyone to feel bad or demonized
youtu.be/zkDi0xHzhuI
Mlb players react to Naylor
Reaction starts at 16:30… why name a episode something you don’t start talking about till the episode is almost over? Clickbait extreme folks
@myaccount, Jose Ramirez was not the player who made the gesture!
Wampum- I never said he was. I clearly referred to Naylor, not Ramirez! Milwaukee was the OP. I simply said Spider needs to accept the trash talk back!
Show me links of all the Cleveland fans who got mad? Every one of the. Until you do, you’re creating your own narrative. Don’t say the people on here either because people on here are fans as “loose” as the word comes.. I mean I been on here as long as anyone and not one actual intelligent conversation came of it as this is a casual sports site and app, excluding the writers on here who mostly seem to be knowledgeable.
Accept what trash talk? Their was none.. Naylor did the gesture. It’s over. Someone named torres who people only know because he is on the Yankees. The same people here trashed Straw last year when a bunch of Yankee guppies threw trash on the field, the same Straw who took time to play catch with kids at Yankees stadium, something he did not have to do after the disgraceful showing before by throwing trash. Be salty but it’s true
Spiders star Jose Ramirez.
Maybe when he’s well he can stroke Manfred & his pathetic new playoff joke. Baseball keeps changing for the worse…
This is likely what contributed to his dip in production around mid-June. ~190 wRC+ before, whereas he was about league average after an IL stint.
Phew best of wishes to him.
His splits as a LHH really took a toll since the Dodgers series where he sat two games for an injured thumb. It was obvious to see that he was still affected by it, he kept pulling his lead hand off the bat when he swung as a righty. Rest up king.
Definitely explains his offensive dip, though how old school he still gave maximum effort cause they needed him.
The Indians made the right choice. Ramirez is so much better then Lindor its crazy. And paid less too. Total no brainer in hindsight!
Shouldn’t be an either-or decision. They were trading away Ramirez too until be took a substantial under-market deal.
Why shouldn’t it be ? The Guardians are 25th in attendance. If the fans don’t show up for a winning team then how much can you really even bother investing. Be realistic
Why is that? The 1948 WS team drew 2.6M, the 1995 WS team drew 2.8M, the 1997 WS team drew 3.4M, but the 2016 WS team drew just 1.6M and this years attendance was only 1.3M. What happened in Cleveland? Two thirds of the fan base disappeared between 1997 and 2016?
They got Rosario and Gimenez for him. They are a better team after the trade and it costs them less. So they were actually worse off with Lindor.
With the money saved on Ramirez they should go get Ohtani.
My favorite mystery surgery like with Tatis, news outlets sure do pick and choose when they care.
“Roughly average” doesn’t make it to the ALDS.
Sure, it does. It literally just did. Their pitching being above average, combined with playing in one of the two worst divisions in the sport, also helps.
Welcome to the AL Central
Everyone is judging the “rock the baby” move without any context. Sure, it was over the top and absurd, BUT, no one knows what Cole may have done to inspire the move. He’s very demonstrative on the mound and that could easily be interpreted as showing up the batter. I’m not defending Naylor, his move was childish (pun intended) but you need to dig deeper than “he was just being an idiot” to get the fool story (again, pun intended). Baseball players have been screamers and chest pounding fist pumpers forever now but maybe it’s gone a little too far. Anyway, it’s a game, not anything more than that. So let it be and watch to see how it turns out. This time, the Guardians lost. So, not a great move by Daddy Naylor.
You just couldn’t help yourself, could you? It must’ve been the Yankee’s fault.
What rubbish. Cole is far from the most demonstrative pitcher, and this is how Naylor’s teammate explained his bush league clown show to Mandy Bell, the Guards’ beat reporter:
‘Triston McKenzie talked about Josh Naylor’s rocking the baby celebration earlier this month: “Nayls, when he hits homers off people, he calls them his son. Hence the rocking the baby as he runs around the bases.”
twitter.com/MandyBell02/status/1581804832909799424…
If you care, here’s what I said about it in a previous post on this site:
Fink Ployed1 day ago
Off topic, but I have to say it: I wish Gleyber hadn’t done his mocking replication of Naylor’s rocking baby routine after the last out. Naylor made enough of a fool of himself without the Yankees having to stoop to that level, and the Guardians deserved respect, regardless of Naylor’s antics. They took the series to five games and played the Yankees tough to the last out. They have a very good young team and should have a bright future, and Tito is a mensch. If they had won, I’d have been rooting hard for them in the ALCS.
Leave the mockery to the fans in the stands. That’s their territory.
BUT, no one knows what Cole may have done to inspire the move. He’s very demonstrative on the mound and that could easily be interpreted as showing up the batter.
Not sure where I am “blaming” Cole. I’m only giving a small amount of consideration for Naylor’s antics, clearly pointing the finger at Naylor.
The only thing more obsessive than my Yankee hating is your jumping to conclusions about it.
This had nothing to do with that. You just chose to read into it.
Except Cole isn’t one of the more demonstrative pitchers on the mound.
There were no comparisons to other pitchers. I said he’s very demonstrative, not more demonstrative than others. My gosh, some pitchers are bat spit crazy out there with their antics. He’s not in that category. But he does get excited. Heck, he got himself thrown out on the correct call of a pitch because he thought it should be a strike. He was totally wrong and totally off base with that nonsense. You gave up a homer. Own it. Move on. But he had to act like a petulant child. Hey, it happens. Emotions and all.
So you acknowledge that he’s not especially demonstrative, yet you theorize that Naylor was motivated by a display by Cole that Naylor interpreted as “showing him up,” notwithstanding the fact that Cole isn’t in the habit of showing up batters.
And Naylor’s teammate explained that his stupid demonstration was typical of him: “Nayls, when he hits homers off people, he calls them his son. Hence the rocking the baby as he runs around the bases.”
Own it. Move on.
Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery Jose! Way to show loyalty to your team and it’s fans by deciding that you want to remain in Cleveland and your daughter’s birth town. We love you!!
I am not saying that players don’t have a right to take the highest offer they can get if they chose to. I’m saying as a Cleveland fan I am grateful that Jose didn’t chose that route.
He’s an OK player but nothing that moves the needle. He’s already *30, so that’s at least 33 in Dominican years.
Are you referring to Jose Ramirez?
Jose Ramirez is a regular MVP candidate who’s 1st in RBI, tied for 5th in runs, tied for 6th in stolen bases, 7th in OPS, tied for 7th in home runs, 8th in wOBA, tied for 8th in wRC+, 9th in BB/K, and tied for second in fWAR since 2020. He was third in RBI and 13th in fWAR this year, playing for much of the season with an injured hand.
Okay player? Someone ban this tool. He deserves his lip shut and never talk baseball again.,. ok player. And Mike Trout is just good and Aaron judge.. he is meh.. smh
He’s fine Cleveland where there isn’t any pressure and no one really cares but take him out of that tiny market and put him under the spotlight in Chicago, LA, or NYC and he wilts. It’s obvious why he inked his deal to remain an Indian
Yeah. That’s why he is top 3 MVP every year. Oh, yeah and a much less lineup. Aaron Judge win the MVP because in a stacked lineup. Judge deserves it but it true. Ramirez has literally no protection which makes it even greater what he is doing. Oscar Gonzalez, a rookie who was an unsigned minor league FA we brought back was our cleanup hitter. Enough said. The no pressure team made the playoffs and almost beat a much superior team on paper..
Being a candidate yet never winning the MVP
RBIs mean nothing
All the stats you listed prove there are players ahead of him in those categories. Again, he’s not terrible but he wouldn’t have a guaranteed spot on a contending team
Guaranteed spot on a team? hahaha. Dude. Ramirez might be the best player on the Yankees or the dodgers if he played for them….those large payroll teams with all that talent. What did it get the dodgers? Mets? Yeah,. they went home quick. The ability to drive in run means a lot. It doesn’t to you cause you want to coosh your false narrative. Put him in those lineups and his numbers would be even more padded and he prob have 2 MVPs by now. He is doing this with a, quite frankly, a sub standard offensive team and has for a bit. Their may be only three tor 4 players better overall players than him in baseball. Watch some baseball and educate yourself…. smh. not guaranteed a spot? hahhaaha
After visiting the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, I was convinced people in Cleveland didn’t have a clue. Now I know for sure.