Over the past two seasons, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos has had some of the worst injury luck in baseball. It looks like that unlucky streak will stretch into a third season.
The Washington Post says that Ramos likely needs hamate bone surgery on his left hand, and could miss four to eight weeks as a result. Even when he returns, it’s no guarantee he’ll be effective — hand and wrist injuries are some of the most difficult to recover from for many hitters, let alone catchers who have to receive pitches from guys like Stephen Strasburg.
Ramos was serving as the Nationals’ cleanup hitter on Opening Day before he was pulled mid-game. Manager Matt Williams said the Nats think Ramos hurt his hand on a foul tip during the opener, but the Post says Ramos was icing his hand and suffering from soreness during Spring Training, before the season even started. He struck out looking in his final plate appearance on Monday, and only swung once during the at-bat.
Jose Lobaton will take over everyday catching duties while Ramos is out, and Double-A catcher Sandy Leon is expected to get the call to the majors to take Ramos’ spot on the roster.
Ramos has had a trying past few years. After being kidnapped in Venezuela following the 2011 season, he tore his ACL in 2012 and dealt with hamstring issues last season. One of the more promising young catchers in the game, he’s only been able to play in 103 games over the last two seasons.
