By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Since debuting with the Philadelphia Phillies in the middle of August, catcher Wilson Ramos has arguably been the club's best position player, producing a team-best 0.7 WAR, 1.5 defensive WAR, .480 batting average and .880 slugging percentage, along with a second-best eight RBI and .462 on-base percentage over the last two weeks.
Ramos slugged his first home run with his new club during Sunday's 8-3 series finale victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Also at the plate, Ramos produced three RBI and a season-high four hits while batting cleanup. While the 31-year-old has missed some time since joining the Phillies with soreness in his left wrist, Phillies manager Gabe Kapler spoke highly of him and his desire to play "every single day" Monday afternoon on SportsRadio 94 WIP.
"Wilson Ramos is a warrior. He wants to play every single day. If you give him the opportunity, he's going to fight you for that opportunity," Kapler said.
Kapler said he is remaining cautious on using the healing Ramos — and all of his ailing players — on an everyday basis, balancing the desire to win "tonight's baseball game" with keeping "long-term health and well-being" in mind.
"As it relates to Ramos specifically, we are balancing tonight's game, with can we keep him healthy, strong and fresh for September and the beginning of October. We have it planned out a little bit. In my mind, right now, I got Ramos starting in tonight's game, tomorrow likely to be down, and then playing the following game," Kapler said. "Then we got an off-day coming. Then we can regroup and reevaluate, and can ask him every single day, 'Wilson, how's your hamstring and wrist doing?'"
"If he feels strong, and our medical staff — who we believe in strongly is the best in the business — if they believe he's strong, then we roll."
Ramos is batting cleanup in Monday's series opener against the Washington Nationals for the third time in the last four games. Clearly, Kapler and the postseason-hopeful Phillies highly value Ramos' added power to the lineup.
