The Cleveland Guardians announced Tuesday, June 16, that star third baseman Jose Ramirez underwent surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.
“Earlier today, Jose underwent a procedure to remove the hook of his fractured left hamate bone,” a press release from the Guardians reads. “The surgery was performed in Lehigh Valley, PA, by Dr. Thomas Graham, who was pleased with the results of the procedure.”
What’s the timetable for Jose Ramirez’s return from injury?
According to the release from the Guardians, the timeline to return from similar injuries to J-Ram’s is typically in the five-to-seven week range.
Other hitters around baseball, including Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, have suffered similar injuries this year.
Ramirez suffered a right hamate bone fracture during the 2019 season, and was sidelined from Aug. 24 to Sept. 24. He underwent surgery for the prior injury as well. As a silver lining for the Guardians and their fans, Ramirez is well versed with what both the surgery and recovery looks like from this injury.
What is the hamate bone?
The hamate bone is one of the eight small carpal bones located just above the wrist on the outer (pinky) side of the hand.
The wedge-shaped bone has a small, hook-like projection known as the “hook of the hamate,” which is notoriously fragile and susceptible to fractures in baseball players due to the way hitters’ bats rest on their hand and wrist area while swinging.
MLB.com notes that “direct compression” on the area over the course of thousands of swings can create stress fractures in this bone, as it did with Ramirez and others.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians star Jose Ramirez undergoes surgery for hamate fracture
Reporting by Ben Leibowitz, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ben Leibowitz, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
