Heliot Ramos’ right thumb injury was bad enough to keep him out of the Giants’ lineup Sunday, and it’s possible that San Francisco’s young outfielder will miss more time trying to recover.
Ramos initially injured his thumb during the Giants’ doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies last weekend and had played sparingly since then.
Ramos re-injured his thumb Saturday and was taken out of the game early. Later, he told Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle that he still is experiencing pain and that the injury has affected him mentally while batting.
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With an off day on Monday, Giants manager Bob Melvin decided it best to keep Ramos on the bench in order to get extended rest.
“We’ll see how it responds,” Melvin told reporters Sunday at Great American Ball Park after the Giants’ 8-2 victory. “We gave him a couple days the last time. That [injury] tends to re-occur a little bit. I don’t know how we’re going to deal with it long term. We’ll see how he is in the next couple of days.”
Ramos has been outstanding after getting called up from the minors on May 8, earning a trip to the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.
Since his call up, Ramos is second in the National League with 53 RBI and tied for eighth with 15 home runs while batting a solid .285.
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He also has proven to be a dynamic defensive player, having made brilliant diving catches in right and left field, not to mention an over-the-shoulder snag against the Chicago Cubs on June 24 that some compared to the legendary catch made by Willie Mays in the 1954 World Series.
Ramos’ success at the plate inspired Melvin to move him higher up in the order, so any extended absence would put a dent into the Giants' offense.
Fortunately, some of San Francisco’s other players appear to be heating up while Ramos is out.
Michael Conforto had three hits and two RBI on Sunday and went 5-for-8 in the last two games of the series in Cincinnati. Before that, Conforto was mired in an 8-for-53 (.151) funk at the plate.
“Sometimes you go through some funky [streaks], but they made some adjustments with him in the cage,” Melvin said. “Looks like he’s letting it travel just a little bit more. He’s swinging the bat the way we expect.”
LaMonte Wade Jr. also helped make up for Ramos’ absence and came up big from the leadoff spot with three hits, including a tie-breaking home run leading off the sixth inning.
“Looks like he’s in his legs a little bit more,” Melvin said of Wade. “I think [he’s] going to start driving some balls. Conforto’s the same way. He’s in his legs a little bit more, too.”
Ramos’ injury also opened the door for Jerar Encarnación, who had been ripping it up in the minors before being called up to the big leagues.
Encarnación had hits in two of the three games against the Reds and started in right field on Sunday, while Mike Yastrzemski moved to center to fill in for Ramos.
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