CLEVELAND — Manny Ramirez is back in an American League playoff chase.
As expected, the Chicago White Sox claimed the 12-time All-Star slugger on waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, hoping his bat can help them make a postseason push.
Chicago began a 10-game road trip to Cleveland, Boston and Detroit on Monday night, although Ramirez is not expected to join the White Sox until Tuesday. They began the day 4½ games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central.
The 38-year-old Ramirez returns to the AL after spending parts of three seasons in Los Angeles, a stay that ended on a somewhat sour note. He batted .311 with eight homers and 40 RBIs in 66 games with the Dodgers this season, but was on the disabled list from July 20 to Aug. 20 with a right calf strain. He missed 33 games.
His first appearance for Chicago will come against the lowly Indians, the team that drafted him and enjoyed his production for eight seasons. He'll then head to Fenway Park, where he was adored by Boston fans before he was traded to the Dodgers in 2008.
That summer, he hit .396 with 17 homers, propelling LA to a postseason berth.
The past two years haven't gone as well. Ramirez was slapped with a 50-game suspension after a failed drug test last year. This season, he has been slowed by leg injuries, which led to the Dodgers deciding to part ways with him for nothing in return.
Ramirez's salary is $20 million in the final season of a two-year contract, but only $5 million is due this year, with the rest to be paid over the next three years. He also had a full no-trade clause.
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