The Cleveland Guardians activated Jose Ramirez from the injured list after his five-week absence.
Five and a half weeks ago, the Cleveland Guardians faced a nightmare scenario as they suffered three injuries not only in one game but in a matter of 45 minutes.
One of those injuries was to superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez, who landed on the injured list with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.
The Guardians knew they faced a tough task in surviving without their best player, but now they don't have to worry about that.
Jose Ramirez Activated Off the Injured List
The Guardians officially activated Ramirez off the injured list on Wednesday ahead of their game against the Minnesota Twins.
Ramirez's initial timetable was set at five to seven weeks after he underwent surgery on his hand, and his return comes almost directly in the middle of that window.
Ramirez will be right back at third base and is hitting second in his first game off the injured list.
As Ramirez has been doing on-field work and in the cage over the last week, a return to action felt imminent. However, the question the Guardians were still trying to answer in all of that was whether the 32-year-old would need to go on a rehab assignment.
Manager Stephen Vogt repeatedly said throughout the process that the team was relying on communication with Ramirez on how he was feeling, and that the player might have the final say given how well he knows his body at this point in his big-league career.
"With Hosey, it's a little different. You got somebody who's older, who knows his body, who's been doing it for a long time. You kind of just lean on him," Vogt said on Saturday.
Ramirez broke the hamate bone in his right hand in 2019, didn't go on a rehab assignment, and hit a home run in his first game off the injured list.
Will a similar story be wrote in 2026?
Kahlil Watson Optioned to Triple-A
With Ramirez coming off the injured list, the Guardians optioned Kahlil Watson to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Watson made his big-league debut shortly after Ramirez's injury as the Guardians searched for more offense.
While it took a bit for the 23-year-old to find his footing, Watson ended up going on a seven-game hitting streak at the end of June. He also came through with a couple of bit hits, such as a walk-off hit against the Chicago White Sox at the beginning of July.
Watson finishes up his first big-league stint with a .239/.264/.341 slash line in 88 at-bats. The rookie showed a lot of potential, but he also has some things to work on before coming back up
