CLEVELAND (AP) – José Ramírez, the third baseman for the Guardians, returned from the paternity list on Tuesday as Cleveland, leading the AL Central, began a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.
Ramírez, currently the top vote-getter at his position for the All-Star game, sat out the final two games of the Guardians’ series in Toronto to be present for the birth of his third child.
The 31-year-old Ramírez holds a .269 batting average with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs, leading the team in both categories. Cleveland enjoys a five-game lead over the Kansas City Royals.
In order to bring José Ramírez back onto the roster, the Guardians decided to send rookie first baseman/DH Kyle Manzardo to Triple-A Columbus. Manzardo displayed promising moments during his initial tenure with Cleveland, but similar to many young hitters, he encountered challenges maintaining consistency.
Manzardo posted a .207 batting average with seven RBIs across 30 games, striking out 23 times in 82 at-bats. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt noted that Manzardo’s opportunities had diminished, largely due to Josh Naylor’s productivity, emphasizing the importance of providing him regular playing time in Triple-A.
