CHICAGO — The Cleveland Guardians placed All-Star third baseman José Ramírez on the bereavement list Tuesday and recalled hot-hitting infielder Brayan Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus.
The team made the moves ahead of a three-game series against the White Sox.
It's not known how long the defending AL Central champions will be without Ramírez, who is batting .285 with four homers and 22 RBIs.
Josh Naylor, who has been on a hitting tear of late, will take Ramírez's No. 3 spot in the batting order while Gabriel Arias will start at third in the series opener. Naylor has homered in three straight games — all go-ahead shots in the eighth inning.
This will be Rocchio's second stint with Cleveland. However, the 22-year-old didn't make his major league debut when he was brought up in April.
Rocchio — ranked among MLB's top 100 prospects — was batting .338 at Columbus with one homer, 21 RBIs and 20 steals. He's hit safely in 16 straight games.