José Ramírez out until after break as Guardians Vs Brewers begin
José Ramírez will miss this week’s guardians vs brewers series in Milwaukee after surgery for a hamate bone fracture, and the Guardians have to line up without their third baseman until after the All-Star break. The Brewers enter at 43-26 with a five-game lead in the NL Central, while Cleveland arrives at 39-33 tied with the White Sox atop the AL Central.
Milwaukee’s 43-26 edge
The Brewers have built their lead behind a 43-26 record and a No. 3 seed in the league behind the Braves and Dodgers. They also bring the more complete lineup on paper, even with Brandon Lockridge as the lone position player on the injured list and a return targeted for late June.
Milwaukee’s offense has produced a.255/.340/.394 line with a.734 OPS, 63 homers, 370 runs, and 70 steals. Jake Bauers leads the club with 13 home runs, Jackson Chourio has nine homers in 35 games while batting.322/.370/.572, and Brice Turang has added 10 home runs and 12 steals with a.261/.378/.457 line.
Guardians without Ramírez
Cleveland has kept pace in the division at 39-33 despite the absence of Ramírez, who underwent surgery and will be out until after the All-Star break. That puts more pressure on the rest of the lineup, with Angel Martínez leading the Guardians in home runs, doubles, steals, and RBIs at 11, 11, nine, and 33, respectively.
The Guardians’ numbers are lighter at.232/.317/.372 with a.689 OPS, 66 homers, 289 runs, and 69 steals. Chase DeLauter and Ángel Martínez are day to day, and Erik Sabrowski is the lone Guardians pitcher on the injured list after beginning a rehab assignment over the weekend.
Ashby in the Brewers bullpen
Milwaukee’s pitching group has taken its own hits, with DL Hall, Brandon Woodruff, Coleman Crow, Quinn Priester, Carlos Rodriguez, Brian Fitzpatrick, Rob Zastryzny, Logan Henderson, Jared Koenig, and Angel Zerpa all unavailable. Aaron Ashby has helped steady that side with a 2.72 ERA, 59 strikeouts, and 43 innings out of the bullpen.
That leaves the series with a clear edge in availability for Milwaukee and a sharper challenge for Cleveland, which has to replace Ramírez’s production while trying to hold first place in the Central. For a team tied at the top, the next few games will show whether the lineup can survive the loss of its best bat long enough to stay in the race.
