SAN DIEGO -- José Ramírez's right wrist appears just fine.

He showed up at Petco Park on Monday, went through his training and told Guardians manager Stephen Vogt that he was “ready to go” ahead of the team’s series opener against the Padres -- an eventual 7-2 loss at Petco Park -- two days after he sustained a sprain on a steal attempt.

“We trust him,” Vogt told reporters pregame. “José's done this for a very long time. He knows his body. He’s the only one who knows exactly how his wrist is feeling. …

"You have to put the trust into a player like José that knows his body and knows how long this season's going to be, and he wouldn't put himself -- or us -- in jeopardy.”

That trust paid off immediately.

Ramírez sent the sixth pitch he saw -- a 92.2 mph sinker from left-hander Kyle Hart, just inside the heart of the plate -- over the left-field fence for his first home run of the season in his first game back.

Ramírez followed that up with a double in the third inning. And then he followed that up with a single in the sixth. And though Ramírez ended up a triple shy of the cycle, he still reminded everyone just how dominant he is when he’s in the lineup.

“He’s the best player in the world,” catcher Austin Hedges said. “He fuels us. He's our catalyst. So, no one's surprised that even with a bum wrist -- or whatever he's got going on -- that he goes out and almost hits for the cycle.”

For as much praise as Ramírez deservedly gets for his bat -- he’s a five-time Silver Slugger winner -- he also got to flash an even more underrated part of his game: His glove.

In the bottom of the first, Manny Machado drilled a would-be single toward the shortstop hole, but Ramirez slid over, gloved the ball, did a 360-degree spin and fired it right into the waiting glove of first baseman Carlos Santana for the third out.

“He’s a superstar. He’s our guy,” Hedges said. “Anytime he’s in the lineup, he can win the game by himself.”

It might have been just too tall of an order for Ramírez to try and win this one by himself, but he for sure tried to. Just his presence alone brings calm to Steven Kwan, who hits ahead of Ramírez in the lineup.

"It's awesome. You just have that safety net behind you,” Kwan said. “On those instances where you're on first base, you feel like you're in scoring position already. You don't have to do too much. He puts up such professional at-bats.”

It’s not the first time Ramírez has made a statement in a return game. In 2019, he missed a month due to a fracture in his right hamate bone that required surgery. In his first at-bat coming off the injured list on Sept. 24, Ramírez crushed a grand slam.

While Monday didn’t bring the same late-season dramatics of that swing from six seasons ago, it serves just as much of a reminder that this is what Ramírez does. This is his team. This is where he thrives.

That’s part of the reason why Vogt has so much trust in him to take Ramírez at his word when he says he’s feeling good enough to play.

“It's everything,” Vogt said. “I trust our players to go out and play and be themselves. Particularly with José, Carlos, Hedgie -- the guys that have been around a long time. You put full trust into what they're saying.”

This is a team that might look different than the one that made it to the ALCS a season ago. The Guardians traded Andrés Giménez to Toronto and Josh Naylor to Arizona, but they still have Kwan. They still have Jhonkensy Noel. And perhaps most importantly, they still have Ramírez.

“These are good guys,” Vogt said. “And this is a really talented team that we have. Unfortunately, didn't go our way tonight.”