Wilson Ramos hurts right knee; Nats prepare to play without him

ByABC News
September 27, 2016, 3:30 PM

— -- WASHINGTON --? Wilson Ramos jumped to catch a relay throw on a play at the plate that appeared pretty harmless. Only this time, his right foot hit the dirt, and he crumpled to the ground, clutching his right knee.

The All-Star catcher writhed in pain and was helped off the field during the Washington Nationals' 14-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. The injury could be another major blow to the NL East champions, who are already expected to be without ailing pitcher Stephen Strasburg in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Ramos would have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the damage. But the damage to the team's World Series hopes might already have been done.

"There's nothing you can do about it," Baker said. "You've got to play, and nobody feels sorry for you, so we're not going to feel sorry for ourselves."

It was the same knee Ramos injured badly during the 2012 season, when he tore his ACL and medial collateral ligament. Ramos, who can become a free agent after the season, is hitting .307 with 22 home runs and 80 RBIs.

"He's a silent leader," said starter Tanner Roark (15-10), who took the loss after allowing five runs and four hits in four innings. "He goes out there and does it with his glove and behind the dish and his bat."

The injury happened on Yasmany Tomas' RBI double in the sixth, when first baseman Ryan Zimmerman relayed home. Teammates immediately knew something was wrong with Ramos, who usually stays in the game after taking foul balls off just about every part of his body.

"Tough moment," said Roark, who is expected to follow Max Scherzer in Washington's playoff rotation. "Something just gave out, and he pointed right to his knee."

Ramos called for medical attention and couldn't walk off under his own power. Baker and players hoped for the best, but it's clear they immediately feared the worst.

"You hate [for] it to happen this late, right before the playoffs, but our next step is try to figure out a way to play without Wilson," Baker said. "I've been mixing and matching this year and most of my life. Therefore, it's another obstacle, and I've just got to try to go back to the drawing board and figure out something."

The Nationals have two other catchers on their September roster,? Pedro Severino and Jose Lobaton. They don't have someone who can replace Ramos' power and presence in the middle of the lineup.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.