The Cleveland Guardians have been without their franchise player since June 13. Jose Ramirez suffered a fractured left hamate bone that required surgery to address the issue.
Ramirez’s initial recovery timeline was set at approximately six weeks.
Over the last week, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt mentioned that Ramirez may not have needed a rehab assignment before returning from the injury.
This statement held true. Jose Ramirez was activated from the injured list on Wednesday before the Guardians’ matchup against the Minnesota Twins. Ramirez will bat second and play at third base, Mason Horodyski of News 5 Cleveland announced.
Cleveland optioned Kahlil Watson to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.
Jose Ramirez’s Impact on the Guardians
GettyBefore going down with a fractured left hamate bone, Jose Ramirez was tied for second in the league in stolen bases (24). The Washington Nationals‘ Nasim Nunez was the only player with more. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The news of Jose Ramirez returning to the Cleveland Guardians lineup is relieving for the ball club. Ramirez is a five-tool threat that naturally improves the Guardians in all aspects of the game.
In the little over five weeks since Ramirez was added to the injured list, Cleveland went an even 13-13. The Guardians’ superstar will look to help the team win the series over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.
Before going down with the fractured left hamate bone, Jose Ramirez was tied with the Kansas City Royals‘ Bobby Witt Jr. for the second-most stolen bases in the MLB (24).
The Washington Nationals’ Nasim Nunez has carried the top stolen base mark for the large part of 2026. Despite missing five weeks, Ramirez is still in the top-6 for stolen bases.
He added 10 home runs and 33 RBI with .239/.339/.418 hitting stats.
Ramirez’s batting average is low compared to his previous All-Star seasons. He will look to turn that around in the second half of the regular season.
Cleveland is tied with a surprising Chicago White Sox team for the lead in the American League Central entering Wednesday. Getting Jose Ramirez back will only help the Guardians down the stretch.
Gabriel Arias to Likely Shift to Utility Role After Jose Ramirez’s Return
GettyWith the return of Jose Ramirez, third baseman Gabriel Arias will likely play in a utility role for the Guardians moving forward. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
During Jose Ramirez’s five-week absence from the lineup, Gabriel Arias was the person who stepped up for the Guardians.
Since Arias returned from an IL stint on June 14, the 26-year-old has had a batting line of .260/.299/.397 with three home runs, six RBI, and four stolen bases. Overall, the third baseman played well while filling in for Ramirez.
Gabriel Arias is likely to shift into a utility role for the Guardians, wrote CBS Sports.
Arias is out of the Guardians’ lineup on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins.
The Guardians have dealt with multiple injuries at third base this season. On top of Jose Ramirez missing five weeks with a hamate bone injury, Gabriel Arias missed over two months with a left hamstring strain earlier in the season.
Cleveland will look to put these injuries behind them as they make a strong push in the final stretch of the regular season.
Guardians Provide Jose Ramirez Injury News Ahead of Game vs. Twins