Tampa Bay Rays: Wilson Ramos nearing rehab assignment, season debut
By Tim Haberin
Wilson Ramos is getting closer to making his return to the field. An All-Star last year before a torn ACL, can the catcher make an impact for the Tampa Bay Rays?
Wilson Ramos likely didn’t expect to wind up in Tampa Bay in free agency. He certainly didn’t anticipate the ACL injury that prematurely ended his season last September either. That torn ligament in his right knee cut short an All-Star campaign by the seventh-year catcher, and also transformed him from a coveted impending free agent to a roll of the dice for any interested club.
The Rays ended up being the team to take the gamble, knowing full well that Ramos could miss almost half of the 2017 season. But the small-market organization, which has relied on shrewd, low-cost moves to stay competitive in the past, inked him to a two-year, $12.5 million contract that was well worth a shot even if he was damaged goods.
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Ramos is slowly but surely drawing closer to making his Rays debut. He has started doing work behind the plate and plans to catch bullpen sessions and perform blocking drills next week. The fact that the backstop is already beginning to re-assume the physical demands of his defensive position has to be encouraging to Tampa Bay.
Topkin also says that Ramos hopes to start a minor league rehab assignment toward the end of this month, potentially May 28. Under that schedule, he could return to the majors sometime in late June.
Ramos likely won’t be thrown back into a full-time catching role right away. He expects to spend some time at designated hitter, at least at the beginning. It makes sense as the Rays will want to bring him along gradually to avoid re-aggravating his knee. Whenever he does put on the mask again and set up behind the dish, however, he could represent a much-needed upgrade for the club at the position.
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The Rays’ difficulty pinning down a long-term starting catcher in recent history is well-documented, particularly their pass on Buster Posey in the 2008 draft. On a two-year deal and with injury question marks, Ramos probably won’t be a lasting solution, but he could give the franchise an offensive boost if he approaches last season’s productivity.
In 131 games, Ramos slashed .307/.354/.496 with 22 home runs and 80 RBI, both career highs. His 3.5 fWAR ranked fourth among all catchers, trailing only Jonathan Lucroy (4.5), Posey (4.0) and J.T. Realmuto (3.5). So far this year, Rays catchers are batting just .222 (21st in MLB) with a .598 OPS (25th). Offseason acquisition Derek Norris has started slowly – .217/.282/.315 through 27 games – and hasn’t posted an OPS+ over 100 since 2014.
Obviously, Ramos coming back and picking up where he left off is not guaranteed. Quite the opposite, it’s unlikely considering the severity of the injury he suffered. But if he shows flashes of the skill that made him one of last year’s best catchers, he could help this Rays team in the second half.
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Tampa Bay is currently 17-19 with a +12 run differential. Though it’s admittedly a bit early to spend much time watching the standings, they are only two games out of a Wild Card position. Things will fluctuate of course as we advance further into the season, but if the Rays can manage to stay afloat, they could remain around the fringes of the playoff picture. Ramos’ return could come right in time to help give them a midseason push.