Jose Ramirez avoids major injury.
Jose Ramirez isn’t often seen limping off a field, and when he is, it tends to cause a collective gasp across Cleveland. But in what could have been a far worse outcome, the Guardians’ franchise cornerstone appears to have dodged a significant injury after rolling his ankle during a freak play in Friday night’s 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays.
Ramirez exited in the third inning with what the club later described as a minor-grade right ankle sprain, the result of an awkward, almost cartoonish sequence at first base. Though the sight of him crumpling to the dirt raised alarm, the Guardians quickly clarified that the injury was more caution than crisis.
“The reports are good,” manager Stephen Vogt said postgame. “Just being cautious – long season. He said he could have kept going, but we can’t take that chance. [We’ll] get him checked out. Good reports so far. [He’s] really sore, so we’ll have to see how he feels in the morning.”
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Ramirez, batting with two outs and Steven Kwan aboard, beat out an infield single off Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt. But the play unraveled as Bassitt’s rushed throw struck Ramirez in the back while he sprinted through the bag. In the process of stepping on first, Ramirez appeared to twist his ankle awkwardly and went down immediately, drawing the attention of Vogt and the medical staff.
Despite the tumble, Ramirez walked off under his own power. Daniel Schneemann came on as a pinch-runner, and for a team that’s relied heavily on Ramirez’s durability and spark, the dugout exhaled a little.
The last time Ramirez missed real time due to injury was back in 2019, when a broken hamate bone sidelined him for a stretch late in the season. He still managed 129 games that year and has since become a model of availability: 152+ games played in every full season since.
That kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s exactly why Cleveland didn’t think twice about pulling him early, especially after another scare just over a month ago. Ramirez briefly exited a March 29 game against the Royals with a wrist sprain after a rough slide into second on a steal attempt. He missed just two days before returning with a three-hit, one-homer performance.
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Even though the numbers haven’t been sizzling of late, Ramirez is 10-for-37 with one extra-base hit in his last 10 games and hasn’t homered since April 21, his presence remains invaluable. He also became the first Guardian to reach 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases during Thursday’s extra-inning win over the Twins, where he scored the decisive run.
Injuries may have dominated headlines across the league Friday, but for Cleveland, this one looks like a bullet dodged. Ramirez may be sore, but he’s still standing, and for a team with postseason aspirations, that’s all that matters right now.
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