José Ramírez has made steady progress in his recovery from hand surgery and will soon start taking batting practice.
The Cleveland Guardians star third baseman has been out since having a portion of the hamate bone in his left hand removed on June 16.

What happened?

José Ramírez injured his hand while making a swing against the Detroit Tigers on June 13.
He had the same procedure done on his right hand in 2019 and returned in 30 days.

Why it matters for José Ramírez

Chris Antonetti, the Guardians' president of baseball operations, said Ramírez has been hitting off a tee and is scheduled to start overhand batting practice “over the next couple days.”
The 5-to-7-week recovery timeframe on Ramírez remains unchanged.

What comes next?

The team expects him back later this month following the All-Star break.
Antonetti stressed that Ramírez has more hurdles to overcome, including how well the recovery site heals and how much discomfort he has over the surgery site.

The Guardians have managed to stay in contention without their best player, entering their four-game series finale against Chicago at 47-43.
They've also been without outfielder Angel Martinez and only recently got back rookie slugger Chase DeLauter from the injured list.

Ramírez, Martinez, and DeLauter were all injured in the same game.
Antonetti said Martinez felt good after taking batting practice and fielding grounders on Saturday and is projected to rejoin the club following the July 13-16 break.

The Guardians' pitching staff has done a really good job of giving them a chance to stay in almost every game.
They've found a way to score just enough to keep their heads above water, with Ramírez leading the league with 24 steals before his injury.

Ramírez was batting just .239 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs when he got hurt.
He is a .278 career hitter and one of the AL's top players.

The Guardians know they have their work cut out for them, but they're hopeful they can continue to find a way to win.
Antonetti said the team needs to continue to try to find ways to string together some wins before the break.