Ramos on latest injury: "Hopefully, that was the last one"

Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos spoke Tuesday for the first time about undergoing surgery to remove the fractured hamate bone in his left hand. He recounted when he first felt soreness during the last week of spring training and then when he felt the severe pain during an at-bat against the Mets on opening day. "It was the last week of spring. I was feeling something in my wrist, but never think about the hamate bone," Ramos said. "I was feeling just a little bit sore. Every morning, I was doing my treatment I was feeling good. For me, the weather in New York affect me a little bit. But it happens. I have to be strong and come back soon." Ramos said he knew something was wrong during seventh inning at-bat on March 31 at Citi Field when he struck out looking. Bench coach Randy Knorr told 106.7 The Fan the next day he had never seen Ramos let a fastball go right down the middle untouched. Knorr knew something was wrong. "That was hard pain, very hard, after I fouled off that ball," Ramos said. "The next three pitches, I waved my bat. That was painful. And I said, 'Something happened, I need to be out.' " After finding out he had fractured the hamate bone, Ramos said the news was tough to stomach. "It was very hard, very hard," Ramos said. "I was very frustrated. A lot of people here have that same surgery, so that made me feel a little bit better. Because a lot of guys here get their surgery and they tell me it is a quick recovery and that made me feel a little bit good. But it is very hard for me and my career to be a lot of times (on the) DL, three years in a row. But I am here, I am still working hard. Hopefully, (I will) be good soon." Ramos confirmed it will be more than a month before he returns. But the timetable is not set completely, so the next week is important. "I don't know yet," Ramos said. "The doctor says four to eight weeks. Right now my hands feel good, feel a lot better. Next week, I will start doing my rehab and see what happens. "I think 14 days after the surgery, we start doing my rehab. All the exercises, they will start. We will have to see how long the doctor (says). I am just waiting for that." Ramos also knows his unfortunate track record with injuries. He hopes this will be his last time out of action during the regular season. "Three years in a row getting hurt, three years in a row on the DL," Ramos said. "That was very hard. I put it in God's hands. Everything happened for one reason. I will have to wait and see what happens. Hopefully, that was the last one. So I have to keep working. I have to keep working every day."