Jose Ramirez returns to Guardians lineup in San Diego

After a brief one-game absence, Jose Ramirez is back in the starting lineup for the Cleveland Guardians. Ramirez is batting second behind Steven Kwan and will return to his normal third base duties in the field. Cleveland is set to begin a three-game series with the San Diego Padres, and having Ramirez back in the lineup will give them a much better chance of doing so.

The 32-year-old switch-hitter was forced to leave Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals with a right wrist sprain. The injury more than likely occurred on an awkward slide from Ramirez during a failed stolen base attempt. Ramirez would play a few more innings after being caught stealing before exiting the contest during the 6th inning.

Considering the nature of the injury and how early it is in the season, the Guardians chose to play it safe with Ramirez and kept him out of the lineup for Sunday's rubber match. Cleveland was able to win on Sunday and subsequently, the series, even without the services of one of the best players in the sport. A trio of home runs and dominant pitching propeled the Guardians to their 6-2 win, starting the season off on the right foot.

The Guardians being able to win without Ramirez did not go unnoticed and could have very well played a factor in their placement in a recent power rankings list. Cleveland went from mid-tier team to inside the top 10 in this list thanks to the efforts of Ramirez's teammates, who did more than enough to come out on top in Kansas City even though he was out of the lineup.

Cleveland is a much better team when Ramirez is available, and as long as he is in the lineup, the Guardians should be able to remain competitive and build upon the success that was their first series win of the season.