Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos will undergo surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, surgery that will effectively end most if not all of the catchers 2012 MLB season.
Acquired in a 2010 trade and named “our backstop for the next 10 years” by General Manager Mike Rizzo, Ramos became no stranger to controversy this summer when he was kidnapped in Venezuela and held for ransom, only to be freed a short time later.
Ramos had managed a strong start to the season but will not be replaced by Jesus Flores who has batted .200/.256/.229 in 13 games this season. Flores, 27, was the starting catcher for the National’s in 2009 but a torn labrum caused him to miss two full seasons.
Speaking about Ramos’ injury and taking over as the teams everyday catcher Flores said:
“I’ve been in that position before. I feel ready for it. I’m going to keep helping the team win. I feel very confident I can do my job.”
Serving as Flores’ backup catch will be Sandy Leon, 23, who was called up this week from Class AA Harrisburg.
Ramon injured his knee on Saturday night when he caught a spike in the grass and twisted his right knee, falling to the ground and writhing in pain as trainers ran to his side. After the game an MRI confirmed the injury.
In the meantime the Washington Nationals will now be missing one of their most consistent hitters as Ramos hit his third home run of the season on Friday night and was batting .265 with a .752 OPS and an on-base percentage of .354.
The Washington Nationals this season are dealing with an ever-growing list of injuries that include Michael Morse, Jayson Werth and Drew Storen, all long-term losses and big components of the teams roster.
