CLEVELAND -- Prior to his team's Wednesday matinee matchup against the Miami Marlins, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona insisted he wasn't concerned about Jose Ramirez's slow start.
It didn't take long for the All-Star third baseman to show why.
With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Ramirez sent a shot to right field for what was his second home run of the 2019 campaign. The solo home run gave Cleveland an early 1-0 lead over the Marlins, who beat the Indians 3-1 on Tuesday to hand them their third straight loss.
Although Cleveland's 12-10 record is nothing to be concerned about just a month into the season, it is worth noting that the Indians currently trail the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central by 1.5 games. As the month of May approaches, the Indians would certainly benefit from a hot streak by Ramirez, who has been a finalist for the American League Most Valuable Player award in each of the past two seasons.
To this point in the season, however, the switch-hitting infielder has hardly showcased his MVP form. In 22 games, Ramirez has compiled a .157 batting average, .237 on-base percentage, .229 slugging and .465 OPS. Furthermore, he's tallied 13 strikeouts while posting just 5 runs batted in.
Nevertheless, Francona has kept faith in the 26-year-old Ramirez, who should be bolstered by the return of fellow All-Star infielder Francisco Lindor. And lest you believe his first inning home run was just a one-off, Ramirez's second at-bat on Wednesday was an RBI single, which he followed by stealing second base.
