CLEVELAND — A few notes following the Cleveland Guardians’ weekend series win against the Athletics at Progressive Field:
All-Star decisions
To play in the All-Star Game or not to play in the All-Star Game: That was the question for the two bright spots in Cleveland’s otherwise punchless lineup. José Ramírez opted to fly home to the Dominican Republic, where he spent a few days with family (and with 200 cows on his farm). Ramírez said the media in the Dominican was being especially critical of him for skipping the All-Star festivities. Ramírez then pointed to each of his arms and his ankle to stress how he’s been dealing with lingering soreness from spraining his wrist in late March, rolling his ankle in Toronto in May, and being plunked in the forearm in late June.
It was the seventh All-Star Game nod of Ramírez’s career, one shy of tying Bob Feller for the franchise record. Ramírez said he would gladly participate in the game and the Home Run Derby next year if he isn’t nursing any injuries.
Steven Kwan, meanwhile, has been dealing with right wrist soreness. The left fielder played in the All-Star Game and delivered a game-tying RBI single with two outs in the top of the ninth. He suffered the injury on a stolen base attempt against the Dodgers in late May. As he slid into second base, his hand folded under him and dragged through the dirt. The pain has ebbed and flowed ever since.
He thought he was nearing a full recovery before he aggravated the injury on a swing against the Astros earlier this month. The injury has made it difficult to get around on inside pitches, he said, and has hindered his ability to manipulate his swing when he takes a two-strike approach. Still, he wanted to go to Atlanta, and the Guardians endorsed his decision.
He did not take batting practice at the All-Star Game, and beforehand, he told Guardians manager Stephen Vogt — a member of the American League coaching staff — that, given his wrist discomfort, if they needed someone to deliver some late-inning thump, he probably wasn’t the wisest choice. AL manager Aaron Boone gave Riley Greene, the starter in left field, an extra at-bat so Kwan, his replacement, would only be called upon to hit once instead of twice, like many of the reserves.
And then, naturally, the AL stormed back from a 6-0 deficit and Kwan was stepping into the batter’s box for a second time, with the game on the line and his heart attempting to escape his chest.
“I couldn’t calm my heart rate down, in a good way,” he said.
#GuardsBall on the national stage for all to see. 🤗 pic.twitter.com/6aPNx66D28
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 16, 2025
Kwan flew back to Cleveland on Wednesday morning, when team doctors supplied him with an injection to help relieve the pain in his wrist. In an attempt to put the injury fully behind Kwan, the team sat him for the entire weekend series against the Athletics. There’s hope that he’ll return to the lineup Monday, though it’s a day-to-day situation.
Before the injury, Kwan posted a .311/.371/.425 slash line. Since, he has logged a .248/.310/.356 clip.
Vogt said he doesn’t expect Kwan to need an injured list stint.
A looming deadline
The trade deadline is July 31, and chatter throughout the league is that there could be a lot of quiet and then a flurry of activity right before the final buzzer. The Guardians could wind up following that pattern, too. Cleveland’s front office wants to see how the team performs against a softer schedule. The Guardians started by taking two of three from the Athletics. There is also, however, a glut of mediocrity in the AL. Look no further than the Central, where the Guardians are 48-50, the Minnesota Twins are 48-51 and the Kansas City Royals are 48-52. All three clubs must determine whether they are legitimate contenders for a wild-card spot. The Los Angeles Angels are 49-50, the Texas Rangers are 50-50 and the Tampa Bay Rays are 52-48. All of these teams are on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.
Even Guardians GM Mike Chernoff admitted, “I think we’re going to have to take it up to the last minute and see where we are. It’s our job to prepare on all sides of this to know every single opportunity that we have to improve our team, or on the flip side, to take advantage of the moment if we are not in contention for a spot. I’m hopeful we can pull ourselves back into closer contention.”
Prospects in pain
Chase DeLauter’s bid to reach base in a record number of consecutive games at Triple-A Columbus remains on hold. DeLauter, who has reached in 34 straight, will visit with Dr. Thomas Graham, a hand specialist, in Dayton, likely Tuesday. The outfield prospect has been dealing with soreness for a couple of weeks.
First-round pick Jace LaViolette is unlikely to play at a Guardians affiliate this season as he recovers from a recent procedure on his hand. He had surgery in late May after getting struck by a pitch on his hand during the SEC Tournament. He played the next day. This latest operation was to clean up that one. The Guardians will take it slow with him as he recovers.
And then there’s Juan Brito, who certainly would have debuted by now if not for a series of injuries this season. He’s expected to remain sidelined for “weeks” after suffering a significant hamstring strain. Brito will be out of options next year unless the Guardians are granted an extra one for him. He has appeared in only 24 games this season at Triple A.
Legendary voices
Guardians play-by-play voice Tom Hamilton is headed for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend. Vogt has crossed paths with some of baseball’s most distinct voices over the years, Hamilton included. Vogt spent two years in Milwaukee and got to know Bob Uecker. He grew up listening to the Giants’ collection of well-known broadcasters, such as Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, Dave Flemming and Jon Miller.
And, as he remembers vividly, he had one at-bat against the Dodgers with Vin Scully on the mic. Vogt appreciates the storytelling element of top-shelf broadcasting, and Scully is unparalleled in that domain, though in this instance …
“(He) didn’t have enough time,” Vogt said. “It was really quick. Didn’t last long. It was a pinch hit against Kenley Jansen. It did not go well.”
(Photo of José Ramírez: Wendell Cruz / Imagn Images)
