Guardians Star Not In Lineup vs. Royals Following Injury Scare

Jose Ramirez is not in the Cleveland Guardians lineup vs. the Kansas City Royals after suffering a right wrist sprain.

Jun 28, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) throws to second base for an out in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians had an injury scare to their best player during the season's second game.

Jose Ramirez awkwardly landed on his wrist while trying to steal second base. He initially stayed in, but the injury eventually forced him out of the game.

Cleveland's manager offered a relatively optimistic outlook on the injury but declined to say whether or not he would be in the lineup for the next game.

Stephen Vogt submitted his lineup card before their series finale against the Kansas City Royals, and Ramirez was not in it. Instead, Gabriel Arias will play third base, and Lane Thomas will hit second in the lineup.

While it is alarming that J-Ram is not in the lineup, there are some other things to consider.

After Saturday's game, Vogt said that Ramirez was considered "day-to-day" with the injury and, for now, it appears Cleveland's superstar has avoided a trip to the injured list.

Hopefully, Ramirez just needs a day off before returning to the lineup.

That said, it is only the season's third game, and the Guardians have bigger aspirations than just winning a regular season game in March.

This Cleveland team hopes to repeat as division champions and return to the playoffs in October. They'll need a healthy Jose Ramirez for the majority of the season.

At this point, it'd be wise for the Guardians to let Ramirez get 100 percent healthy before returning to the lineup, and with that, it's smart that he's sitting out on Sunday.

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