Surgery a success, Williams hoping Ramos will return in four to six weeks (Tommy John for Davis)

Catcher Wilson Ramos had successful surgery in Baltimore on Wednesday to remove the hamate bone in his left wrist.

"We've spoken with the doctor," manager Matt Williams said before Wednesday's game against the Mets at Citi Field. "He's post-surgery now (and) everything went well. He's heading back to Washington and he'll be there when we get back tomorrow."

The Nationals are moving on quickly from Ramos' injury, and Williams said he was happy that it wasn't worse. In fact, the manager seems to believe that Ramos won't need to usual six to eight weeks to recover.

"For me, it's a bone," Williams said. "The nerves were not affected. Everything seems to be OK. They removed the (hamate) bone, you get it out of there and you start your rehab. Time schedule? Don't know. Different guys act different ways. The traditional thing is six to eight weeks. I don't know that it'll take that long. I view it as four to six (weeks), depending on how he feels."

Because injuries to the hamate bone, a small hook-shaped bone with no real use, often start as wrist pain, Williams said the Nationals didn't think anything was amiss when Ramos complained of soreness in the joint near the end of spring training.

They rested him and hoped for the best.

But when the pain increased after Ramos' third at-bat in Monday's opener, they had no option other than to remove him from the game and send him for X-rays. Though initial X-rays were negative, hamate bone fractures are often difficult to detect until further diagnostic tests are performed.

Catcher Sandy Leon was summoned from Double-A Harrisburg to take Ramos' place on the 25-man roster, but backup Jose Lobaton will likely get most of the action while Ramos is sidelined.

Note: Right-hander Erik Davis, who went on the 60-day disabled list during spring trianing with a right elbow strain, underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the procedure, during which the ulnar collateral ligament in Davis' elbow was reconstructed.

The normal recovery time after Tommy John surgery is 12-18 months.

Davis, acquired in March 2011 from the Padres in a deal for Alberto Gonzalez, made his major league debut in 2013, going 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 games.