Guardians star Jose Ramirez makes big admission about return from injury

For the first time since June 13, the Cleveland Guardians had slugger Jose Ramirez in the lineup for Wednesday night's home game against the Minnesota Twins (50-53).

Following Cleveland's 10-6 loss, Ramirez spoke through an interpreter about his return to the big-league lineup. 

Jose Ramirez "was a little anxious" to be back with the Guardians

"Thank God to be able to be back," Ramirez said, per Chris Assenheimer of The Chronicle-Telegram. "I was a little anxious to be back with my teammates. It’s hard to explain, but it’s real. That sensation of not being able to be in the lineup is something you can feel, and I was really looking forward to being back after a month away." 

As Tim Stebbins of the MLB website noted, Ramirez didn't look all that rusty while taking his first in-game at-bats since he needed to have a portion of the hamate bone in his left hand removed. In total, the 33-year-old went 2-for-5 with two RBI in the defeat that dropped Cleveland to 54-49. 

"It was just a process," Ramirez added about his recovery. "We followed everything the training room was suggesting, which is customary for a hamate surgery. Everything they told me, I was trying to follow." 

Jose Ramirez skipped a rehab assignment because he's "about winning"

As mentioned by the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the Guardians went 15-15 without having Ramirez in the lineup. Cleveland ended Wednesday's MLB action trailing only the 54-47 Chicago White Sox in the battle for first place in the American League Central standings. 

The Guardians are expected to be buyers ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Cleveland could use some extra pop and depth for its lineup, as ESPN stats show that the Guardians began Thursday ranked 28th in all of MLB with 416 total runs scored on the campaign. 

That said, manager Stephen Vogt noted that everybody in the Cleveland clubhouse was "ecstatic" to see Ramirez back on the field. 

"'Hosey’s' about winning," Vogt said. "He's not going to come back if he doesn't believe that he can help us win. So it's full trust in him, full trust in the medical staff. Everybody is on board with him being back in there today."

The Guardians and Twins will finish their four-game series in downtown Cleveland on Thursday afternoon.