The way Cleveland supporters have been following José Ramírez’s recuperation is subtly revealing; they have been reading injury updates at odd hours, analyzing the precise wording from front office statements, and interpreting terms like “meeting checkpoints.” It’s the level of care a city gives to a player it truly can’t imagine living without.
On June 13, Ramírez was struck during a swing against the Detroit Tigers. The subsequent diagnosis, a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, is the kind of injury that may seem insignificant to those who don’t follow baseball closely, but it is concerning to all who do. A tiny bone in the wrist called the hamate is positioned to absorb the type of rotational force produced by a baseball swing. When it breaks, especially if a portion of it needs to be surgically removed, recovery takes time and patience. Three days later, on June 16, he underwent surgery. The Guardians announced a five-to seven-week recovery window, which would allow him to return in late July, around the All-Star break.
People were taken aback by what transpired next, but maybe they shouldn’t have been considering who Ramírez is. His stitches were removed by June 30. In a matter of days, he was throwing up to 140 feet and performing fielding drills. He had progressed to hitting off a tee by early July, and team president Chris Antonetti affirmed that he was just a few days away from practicing overhand batting. Antonetti’s wording was cautious but upbeat: Ramírez had, according to him, reached or surpassed each checkpoint along the route. That is not insignificant. In actuality, that is a significant amount.
It is important to take note of the 2019 precedent. Ramírez returned in thirty days after undergoing the same procedure on his right hand seven years prior. Thirty days. Although the player is seven years older, which always adds a degree of uncertainty, the surgery is technically the same, the rehab arc is progressing similarly, and the player is the same. It’s possible that by publicly sticking to the five-to seven-week window, the Guardians are being suitably cautious. It’s also possible that Ramírez just heals quickly and has good pain management skills, and that this falls on the shorter end of that timeline.
In his absence, Cleveland has taken an unexpected action. Given that Ramírez, Angel Martínez, and Chase DeLauter all lost in the same game on June 13, the Guardians were tied for first place in the AL Central with the White Sox going into the All-Star break at 51-46. The team has performed well enough to stay in serious contention; the pitching staff has kept things together, and rookies have taken on challenging roles without completely collapsing. Even when Ramírez isn’t in the starting lineup, it seems like this team’s culture, which he helped create, is still going strong. It’s more difficult to measure than a batting average, but it exists.
If Ramírez returns healthy and near full speed, it’s difficult not to imagine what the second half will be like. When he was injured, he had the most stolen bases in the American League (24), which is nearly unbelievable for a thirty-three-year-old third baseman who is best known for his bat. Based on projection models, the Guardians already have the easiest remaining schedule in baseball. The AL Central race becomes much more intriguing when you combine a fully recovered and driven Ramírez with a pitching staff ranked seventh in MLB by rotation ERA. Antonetti keeps calling the checkpoints, and they are being fulfilled. It’s worth watching what follows them.