Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, held captive by kidnappers in Venezuela for over two days, was rescued Friday night, roughly 40 miles north of his family's home in Valencia. Details of exactly how Ramos was freed are still unknown, but Venezuelan authorities have taken three men into custody.
Obviously, Ramos and his family are extremely relieved to have this ordeal behind him, as are the legions of Nationals fans who held a vigil for the catcher outside of Nationals Park Friday night. Washington GM Mike Rizzo has weighed in on the situation as well. Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:
"We greatly appreciate all the prayers and thoughts of all who have joined us in wishing for this conclusion to what has been a nightmarish 48 hours," Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement. "We are eager to see Wilson and let him know just how many all over the world have been waiting for this news."
The 24-year-old catcher just completed his first full season with Washington in 2011. He is the heir apparent behind the dish for the Nationals, stolen from the Minnesota Twins in a deadline deal for Matt Capps in 2010. He hit .267 with 15 home runs and a .438 slugging percentage last year.
For more on Ramos’ kidnapping, visit this StoryStream. For more on the Nationals, visit Federal Baseball.