CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Everyone in the Guardians organization can breathe a big sigh of relief.
Third baseman Jose Ramirez is in the lineup Friday night and will play at third base a day after he fouled a ball off his right shin that dropped him into a heap at home plate.
“I’m just happy he’s good to go,” acting manager DeMarlo Hale said prior to the series opener with the Tigers. “We had a few lineups and there was a possibility of him DH-ing but he feels good and we’re going to run him out there at third base and see how long he can go. If need be, we’ll get him off his feet a little later on, but I think he’s going to be alright.”
In the eighth inning of Thursday afternoon’s 4-2 loss to the Reds, Ramirez fouled a pitch off his right leg, and he was down for a few minutes while trainers attended to him. After remaining in the game and gathering himself, he managed to slap an RBI single into right field before being lifted for a pinch runner.
“We had to get him out just for precaution,” Hale said.
Ramirez underwent x-rays and other tests Thursday night, which came back negative.
“He wants to play,” Hale said. “We trust him to tell us how he feels. He’s earned that right.”
Hale admitted that while Ramirez was down, it was hard not to fear the worst.
“We all held our breath,” Hale said. “I remember when Jermaine Dye, I think it was in the playoffs, he hit a ball off his shin and its playoff baseball so [you think] oh he’s staying in and here it is it broke his leg so things like that can happen so we’re well aware. But Jose being the player that he is and how tough he is, we held our breath, but Tito took him out and I’m glad he did because now he is able to play today.”
The Guardians recently signed Ramirez to a seven-year, $141 million contract – the largest in team history.
Couch potatoes – Both Hale and first baseman Josh Naylor had to take time off after testing positive for COVID last week but used the free time to give their remotes a workout.
“Watched a lot of TV shows and the games when they were on,” Naylor said. “Kind of kept my mind on baseball. I kind of took it as an off day, as if it were in the season.”
Like Naylor, Hale followed the team on TV.
“Volume was down, I was just looking at the action,” Hale joked. “You see the game a little bit different on TV, but you don’t see the whole reaction that you see in the dugout. The different players getting prepared for the situation in the game… you get a little different perspective.
“The game is slow on TV but when you’re on the field and in the dugout it’s a little faster.”
Hale said the broadcasts aren’t nearly as nerve racking as being in the dugout in the middle of the action.
“No, because you don’t feel what’s going on on the field,” Hale said. “You kind of expect, OK this is going to happen, maybe this may take place but it’s a little different live.”
A day away – Naylor has been activated off the COVID IL but he wasn’t the lineup Friday night. He is close to returning to the field after having to miss a few days due to Major League Baseball’s health and safety protocols.
“[I feel] Great, awesome, ready.” Naylor said Friday afternoon.
“I trust the guys here. I trust the [front] office, the trainers, the coaching staff so whatever they think is best is best and I go with it. There’s no rush so I’m alright.”
Naylor, who said he was mostly asymptomatic, is expected to be available off the bench according to Hale. He got tested last week after having “a mini cough” as a precaution.
“I want to make sure I protect the guys here,” Naylor said, “and I don’t want to come in here and potentially get someone else sick and then they take it home to their family – their kids, their wife – and then they get sick. I didn’t want to do that so I just decided to test.”
No tips – Hale, who stepped back in as acting manager for a night while Terry Francona recovers from a minor medical procedure, wasn’t in Carl Willis’ ear while the pitching coach filled in as acting manager during Francona’s COVID-related absence.
“I know what he was going through because I was going through it last year,” Hale said. “I’m sure he talked to Tito enough and sometimes you just have to back off because guys know what to do. And I think it’s important for people to have that trust that I know what I gotta do. That’s like Tito and I met this morning. We went over some things, talked about some things, and he said, ‘Go get ‘em.’”
Cleanup guy – Naylor grabbed a vacuum to sweep up some dirt from his cleats in front of his locker Friday afternoon but was miffed why they were dirty in the first place considering he hadn’t played in nearly a week.
“I don’t know but I’m setting up a camera in my locker because someone is [messing] with me,” Naylor joked. “I’m not liking it, but I cleaned up the mess. It’s OK.”
Naylor refused to allow the clubhouse attendants clean it.
“If it’s around my locker I have to do it,” Naylor said. “This is my home so I gotta clean my home.”
Roster moves – In addition to activating Naylor from COVID IL, the Guardians optioned outfielder Richie Palacios to AAA Columbus and designated right-handed pitcher Luis Oviedo for assignment.
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