What started as a satisfying win for Cleveland quickly turned into a nightmare scenario for the Guardians organization.
Star third baseman José Ramírez fractured a bone in his left hand Saturday during Cleveland’s 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers, and the team has no timetable for his return. The injury is a crushing development for the two-time defending AL Central champions.
The 33-year-old suffered a fractured left hamate bone while leading off the fifth inning. Cleveland held off announcing the severity of the situation until the final out was recorded, when manager Stephen Vogt confirmed the diagnosis following imaging tests.
Vogt described how Ramírez tried to push through the pain for the sake of his teammates. “He had a similar injury I think to his right hand a few years ago,” Vogt said. “He tried to go back out. He knew the position we were in, grabbed his glove and said ‘Maybe I can still play defense,’ but he couldn’t squeeze his glove. Hosey wanted to get back out there to help us win that game. He just couldn’t.”
Ramírez is widely considered the face of the Cleveland franchise. A seven-time All-Star who has landed in the top four of MVP voting on five occasions, he is the team’s most irreplaceable piece. Losing him for any amount of time is a serious blow to Cleveland’s title hopes.
Surgery is anticipated within the next few days. While the Guardians do have other options at third base, none of those players come close to matching what Ramírez brings to the lineup. The team had just moved back into first place in the division heading into the weekend.
Ramírez is no stranger to this type of injury. Back in 2019 — the only time in his career he has landed on the injured list — he broke his right hamate bone. Despite initial projections of missing up to seven weeks, he returned within a month after undergoing surgery.
The timing is complicated by the fact that Ramírez had been in a bit of a slump this season. He entered Saturday’s game hitting just .238 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs. For context, the switch-hitter carries a career batting average of .274 and holds nearly every significant offensive record in Guardians history.
Ramírez wasn’t the only player to exit Saturday’s game hurt. Outfielders Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez also left in the opening two innings. DeLauter bruised his right rib cage after crashing into the outfield wall, while Martinez took a foul ball off his foot. Whether either player will join Ramírez on the injured list has not yet been determined.
With three of his top four hitters suddenly unavailable, Vogt had to get creative with his lineup. He shifted Rhys Hoskins from first base to left field — a position Hoskins hadn’t played since 2018 with Philadelphia.
“We’re working through the logistics and what the next steps are so we’ll know more tomorrow or the next day,” Vogt said. “These things can get complicated.”
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch, whose own team has dealt with a heavy injury burden throughout the season, said he felt for Cleveland after watching the situation unfold.
“It was one after another for those guys,” Hinch said. “If there’s any team that understands having injuries at a weird time, it’s us. I didn’t see anything with Ramírez to have him come out of the game, so when Stephen (Vogt) was on the field I had no idea what it was about and they were moving their players all around. Obviously health is a premium. Sounds like they’ve got a lot to sort out over there.”
