Ramos comes to play with HR, fine debut

CLEVELAND -- Wilson Ramos just wanted his phone to ring.

The soon-to-be 34-year-old catcher was shocked when he learned that he had been cut by the Tigers earlier this season while he was battling through a lumbar spine strain. At that point, he was just looking for a door -- any door -- to open to get him back in the game he loves and prove he still has something to offer.

When the Indians gave him a call, he didn’t hesitate to sign a deal, even if it was only a Minor League contract. He joined the Triple-A Columbus roster on July 6 and spent the last month working his way back to the big league level. And the first time he had a chance to get a taste of the biggest stage once again, he was the lone offensive bright spot in the Indians' 2-1 loss to, none other than, the Tigers on Saturday night at Progressive Field.

“It’s very tough to play against my former team, but this is part of this business,” Ramos said. “One day you’re here and the next day you don’t know where you’ll be. I’m very happy to be back in the Majors and happy to help this team.”

Ramos couldn’t help his team all the way to a victory, but he did everything he could to keep the Indians in the game. In his Cleveland debut, Ramos went 3-for-4 with a ninth-inning blast that traveled a Statcast-projected 431 feet off former teammate Gregory Soto to cut the Indians’ deficit to one with no outs.

“After [Soto] did the quick pitch, I wasn’t ready to make a swing,” Ramos said. “That’s why the next couple of pitches, I was getting ready early so I wasn’t surprised by another quick pitch. But as soon as I got a second slider, I was sitting on the fastball, even though he throws hard. He was 100 percent trying to beat me with a heater, but I connected with the ball really well.”

Ramos got off to a hot offensive start and got to catch one of the few hurlers he had a chance to work with in Triple-A in Eli Morgan, who tossed a career-high seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

“He’s a big target back there,” Morgan said. “He’s a veteran. He knows what he’s doing. I thought he called a great game. He knows a few of these guys, so I really trusted he was gonna put down the right signs. Shook him a few times, just as I would in any start, but I really trusted his game plan.”

This was the moment Ramos had been waiting for. He wants to prove that he has more left in the tank after hitting .200 with a .630 OPS in 35 games with Detroit before his release. It may have only been one game, but his performance in his debut with Cleveland can only build his confidence moving forward.

“I was looking for an opportunity, an opportunity to come back,” Ramos said. “I knew it was tough to be out of the Major Leagues for minimum back pain. I was, I guess, very surprised when I got DFA’d. … I know 100 percent sure I can help any team to win and that was what I was looking for.”

Ramos has been in the big leagues for 12 seasons, and he’s looking to extend his career as long as possible. Could that future be with the Indians? He was called up to the big leagues on Friday after Roberto Pérez was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, and Ramos could put together a convincing case to stay beyond this season.

Pérez is signed through 2021 and has a team option for ‘22. In the case the team decides to turn to Austin Hedges as its everyday backstop by declining Pérez’s option or trading him this offseason, Cleveland will need a secondary catcher.

Double-A catcher Bo Naylor will eventually take over that starting role, but a 2022 arrival may be a little ambitious. In the meantime, Ramos could take advantage of these last two months of the regular season to show that he could bridge the gap until Naylor, ranked as the club's No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is ready. He has a few weeks to go, but Ramos certainly set a strong tone on night one.

“I thought he called a great game,” Morgan said. “Caught a great game and three hits and a home run in his debut, can’t do better than that.”