CLEVELAND -- This is the version of Andrés Giménez the Guardians were hoping to see this season.

Maybe Giménez's hot bat has arrived too late to help make an impact in 2023, but seeing this side of him emerge once again has to be comforting for an organization that’s looking forward to him being one of the rocks of its lineup in '24. And with two more hits, including a homer, in the Guardians’ 11-7 loss to the Reds on Tuesday night at Progressive Field, Giménez doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

The loss puts Cleveland behind 2-1 in the four-game season series against Cincinnati. Because the Guardians won the Ohio Cup last year, the team just needs to split the series in order to retain it. So Wednesday’s finale will determine which clubhouse the trophy will end up in.

The Guardians can only hope Giménez is cleared to get back in the lineup to help retain that title after his scorching hot past few weeks. Giménez fouled a ball off of his right knee in the seventh inning on Tuesday, and although he finished his at-bat, he was not sent out to the field in the eighth. He’s scheduled to get an X-ray on Wednesday.

“[Giménez] hit that ball right off his knee,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “He’s a tough kid. I know that one hurt.”

There are only four games remaining, but the momentum Giménez has built going into the offseason has to be a confidence-builder.

Entering the game, Giménez owned a .349 average with an .883 OPS, four doubles, one triple, two homers and 12 RBIs in 22 September contests. He added another home run in the third -- a Statcast-projected 419-foot shot deep into the right-field seats -- and a single in the second to boost his numbers for the month.

“Nothing has changed,” Giménez said of his recent approach over the weekend through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “I think we keep with the routine that we’ve done. And credit to our hitting coaches, Chris [Valaika] and Victor [Rodriguez], because we keep having the routines, put in the work and I’m getting the results that we want.”

Giménez established himself as an All-Star-caliber second baseman last season. He hit .297 with an .837 OPS (141 OPS+), 17 homers and 69 RBIs. On top of his offensive performance, he showcased just how talented he is defensively, winning a Gold Glove in his first full season in the Majors.

There was never a question of whether Giménez's defense would hold up. The Guardians have had to watch him struggle offensively at times this year, and this recent stretch brings more optimism that he can get back to the hitter he was last season. But what they have learned this season is that he had even more in the tank with his glove.

Somehow, Giménez seems to have gotten better. He made that clear Friday night when he turned an unbelievable double play with Gabriel Arias against the Orioles before showing off his range by robbing a hit toward his glove side later in the game.

“The goal is always to try to cover as much range as possible,” Giménez said.

Entering Tuesday, Giménez was tied for the second-most Defensive Runs Saved (22) among all position players, according to FanGraphs. He only trails Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (27). In Giménez's Gold Glove season last year, he had 16 Defensive Runs Saved. According to Baseball Savant, Giménez ranks in the 100th percentile in Outs Above Average (18).

“I think he’s getting better, which is hard to believe,” Francona said of Giménez. “He is really something. It’s special to watch him play second base. And then when Arias is at short and they’re turning double plays, there’s a lot of plays that get turned that not too many places it gets turned.”

Offensively, this wasn’t the sound, consistent season Giménez had in 2022. But these past few weeks show that past year doesn’t have to be a fluke. Combine that potential with what he’s proven he can do with his glove, and the second baseman could be critical to this lineup for the foreseeable future.