Why José Ramírez Left the Guardians' Spring Training Game Early on Sunday

It's hard not to hold your breath when a negative headline with José Ramírez's name starts circulating.

But fortunately, it seems that he's going to be okay.

On Sunday, March 15, the Cleveland Guardians took on the Athletics for a spring training bout in Arizona. In the bottom of the second inning, Ramírez doubled into left field on a line drive, scoring prospect second baseman Travis Bazzana and infielder Gabriel Arias in the process.

While the moment was viewed with excitement, as Ramírez yet again flashed his excitement at the plate, it would be looked back on as the precursor for an unfortunate injury. After getting to second, he would take off and steal third base, hurting himself in the process.

Initially, it was unknown what had happened. Following the conclusion of the outing, though, MLB Insider Tim Stebbins provided an update on the matter, stating that the seven-time All-Star had jammed his left shoulder when sliding into third. He appeared to have inflammation.

When asked about the timeline of the injury, manager Stephen Vogt called it "day-to-day."

Stephen Vogt said Ramírez jammed his left shoulder sliding into third base and has some inflammation. Appears to have happened in the second inning; Ramírez doubled and stole third.

Vogt called it a "day to day" situation in the immediate aftermath of today's game. https://t.co/iufDc1vPoM
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) March 15, 2026

So far, he's been one of the Guardians' more consistent bats in spring training, with a slashing line of .233/.333/.500 for an OPS of .833.

It is just spring training, but after all, the hotter a player like Ramírez, who's entering his mid-30s, can begin the campaign, the more momentum he'll have when regular season action finally rolls around in just a couple of weeks.

If the Guardians' coaching staff and front office are smart, which they have shown they have been this year with injuries, Ramírez will likely be shut down for roughly a week.

After all, they'd rather not prolong an injury into the start of the 2026 MLB regular season, especially when, at least right now, it doesn't seem to be that serious.

Ramírez's Offseason to Remember

Before spring training officially began, Ramírez had already made his mark on 2026.

Out of the blue, in late January, the Guardians announced that they were actively working on an extension for Ramírez to stay in Cleveland for the remainder of his career in MLB. Covered first by MLB Insider Hector Gomez, the two sides connected on a seven-year, $175 million contract extension, keeping him in The Land through the 2032 season.

BREAKING NEWS: Jose Ramirez is a Guardian for the long haul. The third baseman star has signed a new deal: 7-year, $175 million extension through the 2032 season.

In April, 2022, Ramirez and the Guardians agreed on a five-year, $124M contract extension.@z101digital
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) January 24, 2026

The deal reassured the Guardians' trust in their superstar, adding four years and over $100 million to his previous contract that he had inked way back in April 2022.

This type of investment in one of the league's best players comes as no surprise, but the timing did catch many off guard. Now, they'll just have to hope that this injury isn't something worse and that he'll be okay with a bit of rest.

In 2025, he was one of baseball's best players, making it such an obvious decision for the front office to extend him. He finished third in MVP voting, was selected to his fifth-straight All-Star game and earned his second-straight Silver Slugger honor.

This type of play comes as no surprise, though, as he's routinely been a threat at the plate.

He's currently averaging a slashing line of .279/.353/.504 for an OPS of .857 across 13 seasons and over 1,600 games in the big leagues. He's also clobbered nearly 400 doubles and 285 home runs for 949 RBI. If everything goes according to plan in 2026, he will likely surpass 300 home runs and 1,000 career RBIs.

But first, Cleveland just has to make sure he gets healthy and doesn't accidentally prolong his shoulder injury.