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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Five weeks without José Ramírez forced Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to improvise almost every night. Daniel Schneemann bounced between the infield and outfield. Gabriel Arias settled in at third base. Brayan Rocchio climbed from the bottom of the lineup into the cleanup spot, while a wave of young hitters proved they could handle bigger roles.
Now Ramírez is back, Angel Martínez is nearing the end of his rehab assignment, and Vogt suddenly has something Cleveland lacked for much of the last month: too many options.
For the Guardians manager, that’s exactly how he wants it.
“It’s fun,” Vogt said before Wednesday night’s game against the Twins. “Even looking at today’s lineup. Today’s lineup’s a lot longer. The more we can lengthen this lineup, the better we’re going to be. And we’ve missed Hosey and Angel, but the guys who have been here have stepped up in a huge way.”
Rather than settling into a fixed batting order after activating Ramírez from the injured list Wednesday, Vogt said the lineup will remain fluid depending on matchups, recent performance and defensive flexibility.
Daniel Schneemann’s versatility keeps him in the mix
One of the biggest questions created by Ramírez’s return is what happens to Daniel Schneemann.
The 29-year-old has started games at third base, second base, shortstop and all three outfield positions this season while playing solid defense across the diamond. Although his .211 batting average and six home runs don’t jump off the page, Vogt made it clear Schneemann’s value extends far beyond one position. When whether or not Ramírez’s return means more outfield reps for Schneemann, Vogt demurred.
“We’ll see,” Vogt said. “I think it’s just going to be a day-to-day. I think it’s lineup to lineup, matchup. Again, there’s really nothing set in stone, but Schnee’s versatility is definitely going to be a huge factor for us.
“I mean, he can play the outfield, play the infield and Gabby (Arias) can play all over the infield. So we feel like we’ve got two very good utility players there and we’ll see what happens moving forward.”
That flexibility gives Vogt the freedom to ride whatever bat is hottest while still keeping his best defenders involved, especially as Cleveland’s offense has found another gear in July.
After finishing near the bottom of the American League in both batting average and OPS during June, the Guardians entered Wednesday hitting .262 with a .773 OPS this month, ranking among the league’s top offenses in both categories.
Brayan Rocchio has earned his spot in the middle
Perhaps no player has benefited more from Cleveland’s injury-driven shuffle than Brayan Rocchio.
The shortstop has spent three of the last four games hitting cleanup, a role that would have seemed unlikely just a few months ago. But Vogt believes Rocchio’s skill set makes him a natural fit.
“I like the switch-hitting ability and I like the contact,” Vogt said. “I like the ability. He can drive the baseball as well, but again, it just makes that once we get through the starter, it makes the bullpen decision a lot harder. Now you got two switch hitters up at the top and Roki’s earned his way up there.”
Vogt acknowledged there were growing pains after moving Rocchio out of the No. 9 spot where he had gotten comfortable early in the year.
“I think we threw him into the top of the order overnight and there was a little bit of growing pains there for about a week,” Vogt said. “But he’s really settled in and he’s having a great year and he’s been one of our best hitters.”
The numbers back that up. Rocchio entered Wednesday leading Cleveland’s position players with a 3.1 fWAR while batting .290 with eight home runs and 41 RBI over his previous 83 games dating to April 13. He also leads the club with 93 hits and ranks second with 47 RBI while continuing to provide elite defense at shortstop.
Another roster decision is coming soon
The Guardians’ lineup may become even more crowded before the club leaves for Tampa Bay.
Martínez was set to play in another rehab game Wednesday after appearing Tuesday night at Triple-A Columbus. Vogt said the organization wants to see how he responds to consecutive games before determining the next step.
“Today’s a good big test, back-to-back games, seven to nine innings,” Vogt said. “So we’ll see him in the morning here and reevaluate him and determine what the next steps are for him.”
When Martínez is ready, Vogt expects another difficult roster and lineup conversation.
He’s perfectly happy to have it.
“There’s really hard decisions to make,” Vogt said. “It’s always fun for me when I sit and look at who we’re facing and the 13 options. It’s really hard to make a lineup for this team. I mean, usually a case to be made for anyone to play in any given moment and day. So I hope that continues to be a problem.”
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