CLEVELAND — Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez has not been ruled out for the postseason — if Cleveland can make it without him — despite a broken hand.
Ramirez had surgery Monday in New York on the broken hamate bone in his right hand, an injury suffered during a hard swing during a weekend game. The team said the two-time All-Star could return in five to seven weeks, which would be the beginning of October.
His loss is a significant setback to the Indians, who trail first-place Minnesota by 3.5 games in the AL Central but have a one-half game lead in the wild-card race.
The 26-year-old Ramirez is one of the team’s most indispensable players. He broke out of an early-season batting slump in June and helped get the Indians back into contention. He is batting .254 with 20 homers and 75 RBI but has been one of baseball’s best hitters in the season’s second half.