The Cleveland Guardians are taking a cautious approach to manage Jose Ramirez’s thumb injury. The three-time Silver Slugger was left off the lineup card for Sunday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving him three days off before the Guardians resume action on Tuesday. 

Looks like Jose Ramirez is out of the @CLEGuardians lineup again today. That will give him three full days of resting that sore thumb before the team plays @Twins on Tuesday. Josh Naylor is back in the lineup today vs. @Dodgers.

— Bernie Pleskoff (@BerniePleskoff) June 19, 2022

Ramirez is letting his bat do the talking this year. The 29-year-old leads the majors with 62 runs batted in and four triples, adding to his 1.039 on-base plus slugging percentage. Ramirez’s performances have elevated his standing in the AL MVP conversation, sitting with the fourth-best odds to win the award at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Guardians turn third base duties over to Ernie Clement again on Sunday. Clement went 0-for-3 with a strikeout against the Dodgers on Saturday, dropping his season-long slugging percentage to .233.

After stealing a win in extras on Friday night, the Guardians are looking for a series win against the Dodgers on Sunday. They’re holding steady as +146 ahead of first pitch.