Fans during a rain delay at Progressive Field or over the family dinner could have a friendly debate about which trait of Guardians All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez is the most amazing.<\/p>\n
I vote for his durability.<\/p>\n
Ramirez played in more than 150 games in eight of the last 10 seasons. Of those eight, he played in more than 155 games five times. He played in 58 games in 2020 when the season was shortened to 60 games because of COVID-19.<\/p>\n
The only season in which he has been sidelined significant time was in 2019 when he suffered a fractured right hamate bone while swinging and missing on a pitch Aug. 24 in a game with the Royals. Even with that, he still played in 129 games that season.<\/p>\n
Ramirez suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb in June 2022. He played with the injury for more than half the season, played in 157 games, led the American League with 44 doubles, batted .280 and drove in a career-best 126 runs.<\/p>\n
The Guardians won the AL Central with a record of 92-70 in 2022. They buried the second-place White Sox by 11 games. Ramirez easily could have asked for days off to not put so much stress on his injury, but he refused to sit. He finally had surgery on his thumb on Nov. 9 after the Guardians were eliminated by the Yankees in the division series. Ramirez was 10-for-30 in the 2022 playoffs with two doubles, a home run and four RBI.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s his health and his toughness,\u201d Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said on Jan. 29 after the news conference announcing a contract extension for Ramirez through 2032. \u201cHe\u2019s been injured, and he\u2019s found a way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is so important to him to play as much as he possibly can than when he has had those bumps and bruises and even more than that he\u2019s found a way to play through them.\u00a0 Most guys would have had surgery on his thumb four years ago. Jose walked into Tito\u2019s office (former manager Terry Francona) and said, \u2018I\u2019m not having surgery, and I want to be in the lineup tomorrow.\u2019 That\u2019s a unique guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramirez is an inspiration to his teammates. They don\u2019t slack off, knowing the way he plays. The Guardians\u2019 2026 Cactus League opener with the Reds is Feb. 21 in Goodyear, Ariz.<\/p>\n
\u2022 This is absurd. There is still no resolution on the alleged gambling cases involving Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, which means the Guardians might be stuck paying Clase\u2019s $6.4 million salary in 2026 even though he is ineligible to pitch for them.<\/p>\n
The story began on July 3 of last year when Ortiz, a starter, was put on non-disciplinary paid leave for allegedly throwing pitches out of the strike zone to affect prop bets. Major League Baseball swooped in on July 26 and nabbed Clase, the Guardians closer, on the same suspicion. Clase also was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave.<\/p>\n