Wilson Ramos Injury: Updates on Nationals Catcher's Hand and Return

Updates from Wednesday, May 7

The Nationals' official Twitter feed reported good news on Ramos this morning:

CSN's Mark Zuckerman adds more on Ramos:

Updates from Tuesday, May 6

James Wagner of the Washington Post provides an update from Wilson Ramos:

Updates from Monday, May 5

The Washington Nationals have updated Wilson Ramos' status as he looks to return from a hand injury:

Updates from Friday, May 2

The Nationals and CSN's Mark Zuckerman had an update on Ramos' performance in extended spring training:

Updates from Sunday, April 27

Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post has the latest on Wilson Ramos:

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The most promising development pertains to Ramos. The Nationals expected him to miss four to eight weeks when he broke the hamate bone in his left hand on opening. It now appears Ramos will miss much closer to four — he may return as soon as the Nationals’ next homestand, which begins May 5 against the Dodgers.

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Updates from Saturday, April 26

Washington Post reporter James Wagner has an update on Ramos:

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The scar on his left hand is healing and he is more than a week into his rehab, but he has progressed well.

Ramos “looked good,” Manager Matt Williams said. “He’s gotta get strength back and all of that. But so far so good. Pretty fast, all things considered.”

This weekend, Ramos will take part in defensive drills and catch a light bullpen session for the first time, another step in his recovery process. Coaches Randy Knorr, Bobby Henley and Matt LeCroy, all former catchers, will supervise the catching activities, which will likely include a coach throwing light pitches to Ramos behind the plate.

“Swinging the bat is one thing; you have two hands on it,” Williams said. “But being a catcher is completely different. … But the strength of catching the ball, that’s the key. Swinging the bat is one thing but 100 plus times [catching] in the game doing that he’s gotta make sure that he can do that properly to make sure he can play again.”

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Updates from Wednesday, April 2

Wilson Ramos provided an update following his surgery:

The Washington Nationals provide an update on Ramos' hand surgery and recovery:

Updates from Tuesday, April 1

James Wagner and Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post provided the expected timeline for Wilson Ramos to be sidelined:

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Nationals catcher and opening day cleanup hitter Wilson Ramos will likely undergo hamate bone surgery on his left hand Wednesday morning, according to multiple people familiar with situation. The procedure would sideline the Nationals’ bedrock catcher for more than a month and affect him once he returns. 

After he received a MRI on Tuesday, Ramos will visit specialist Kenneth Means in Baltimore for a final opinion. If Means determiness Ramos needs surgery, as expected, Ramos could miss up to eight weeks and experience diminished power at the plate once he returns.

Hamate bone injuries are common in baseball. Recovery tends to take four to eight weeks. Many players require longer to recapture their power once they return.

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Original Text

It took less than one game into the 2014 MLB season for the Washington Nationals to receive some unwelcome news, as catcher Wilson Ramos injured his hand against the New York Mets on Opening Day.

James Wagner of The Washington Post filled fans in on the details:

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Wilson Ramos exited Monday’s season opener against the New York Mets with a fractured bone in his left hand, according to a person a familiar with the situation. It is unclear how it happened during the game or how long he will be out, but Ramos was replaced in the bottom of the seventh inning with backup Jose Lobaton.

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However, that report was denied and Dan Kolko of MASN is reporting that x-rays are negative on Ramos' hand:

Ramos was 0-for-3 before exiting the game.

Clearly, any injury is disheartening for a player or franchise, but it is especially so in the case of Ramos. The Nationals catcher has played a mere 103 games over the past two campaigns thanks to knee surgery in 2012 and hamstring issues in 2013.

Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images

Looking forward, Washington will have to rely on Jose Lobaton for the foreseeable future. It is worth mentioning that Lobaton did register a base hit after filling in for Ramos on Monday. Lobaton hit .249 with seven home runs for Tampa Bay last season, so he is a capable backup option offensively.

Still, the Nationals would prefer Ramos as part of their everyday lineup.