CHICAGO — José Ramírez is still playing through the long tail of June’s left hamate surgery, a recovery the Guardians do not expect to be fully behind him until 2027. The hand has required ongoing attention, and it has plainly affected his offensive rhythm. But with Cleveland’s season on the line in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, Ramírez again showed why a less-than-whole version of him can still swing a postseason game.
The Guardians entered the best-of-five matchup facing elimination, and Ramírez helped create a vital insurance run in the fifth inning. Against left-hander Noah Schultz, the 34-year-old turned on a one-out pitch and scorched it down the third-base line for a double. The ball left his bat at 106.5 mph. He promptly stole third, then broke for home on Chase DeLauter’s ground ball to second with Chicago’s infield pulled in.
DeLauter’s ball was hit at 105.9 mph toward Chase Meidroth, but Ramírez had already read the play. As Meidroth gathered himself to throw, Ramírez was halfway down the line. He dove in safely to push Cleveland’s lead to 5-2.
There had been signs all night that Ramírez’s bat was coming alive. In the first inning, he lined out at 107.9 mph, his second-hardest batted ball since the surgery. He also worked a walk and came home in the third on Jo Adell’s bases-clearing triple. For a player who has spent months managing a troublesome hand, the quality of contact was every bit as meaningful as the box-score production.
Ramírez closes the door at third
His biggest play may have come without a bat in his hands. Chicago loaded the bases in the sixth on a walk, two hit batters and a single, trimming Cleveland’s margin to two runs and putting Hunter Gaddis in a difficult spot. All-Star Miguel Vargas then sent a line drive toward third base with a chance to reshape the inning.
Ramírez slid to his left and secured it cleanly, ending the threat and keeping the Guardians in control. It was the sort of complete-game influence Cleveland has come to expect from its third baseman: a hard-hit ball, an aggressive read on the bases, a run saved or preserved with the glove. The hand may not be fully right for some time, but in Game 3, Ramírez gave the Guardians plenty of reasons to believe their October push still had life.
