Before the Cleveland Guardians completed a badly needed three-game sweep of the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, Cleveland third baseman Jose Ramirez surprisingly announced he’ll be skipping next week’s All-Star Game to rest the ankle, heel and Achilles tendon that’s been bothering him since he picked up the initial injury on May 2. While speaking with reporters, Ramirez indicated this wasn’t an easy decision to make, regardless of how he’s been feeling through the first few weeks of the summer. “I spent a long time thinking about it,” Ramirez explained, as shared by Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I’ve been working with [manager Stephen Vogt] to try to take some time whenever possible to rest the ankle while DHing. I’ve been trying to think about the team in the second half, too. I think it’s best for the team for me to get some rest.” Per ESPN stats, Ramirez entered Thursday leading the Guardians among qualified players with a .301 batting average, an .878 OPS, 17 home runs and 45 RBI on the
