Guardians’ José Ramírez Makes Major All-Star Decision

Amidst a season featuring various injuries, Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez is electing to skip the MLB All-Star Game and surrounding festivities.

The team officially announced Ramírez's decision on Wednesday afternoon, a week after he was selected as a starter for the American League.

"Elected starting third baseman, José Ramírez, will not partake in 2025 All-Star Game activities in Atlanta to focus on recovery and preparation for the second half of the season," the Guardians said in a social media post.

Ramírez was named an All-Star for the seventh time in his career and the fifth consecutive season, but his performances have not come without tribulations. The star infielder has played through a sprained wrist that he suffered in March, a sprained ankle in early May and was hit on the forearm in late June. Despite being banged up, Ramírez has played in 87 of Cleveland's 90 games with a slash line of .299/.364/.503 and 16 home runs.

By using the All-Star week to recover, Ramírez will have a six-day break to get healthy before the Guardians resume play in the second half of the season. Cleveland, at 42-48, sits 15.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central and 5.5 games behind a Wild Card berth. If the Guardians can find momentum coming out of the break, which starts with a seven-game homestand, a late-season playoff run is not out of the question for last year's American League runners-up.

Ramírez's .299 batting average is on pace to be his highest in a season since 2017, his first All-Star campaign.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage