"It wouldn't surprise me if Washington Nationals rookie catcher Wilson Ramos replaced Ivan Rodriguez in the starting lineup Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.

Rodriguez doesn't want a day off. In his 21st season, the 14-time all-star actually still prefers a heavy workload. And he's definitely not the type to request a break after only one game. That's why this could be difficult.

Regardless of Rodriguez's feelings, the Nationals are transitioning to Ramos as their everyday catcher. They're confident Ramos will take a major step this season, so there's no sense in waiting to start an important process for the franchise's future. The Nationals are making the right move in giving Ramos an early opportunity to prove he's ready, and Rodriguez will simply have to deal with it as best he can.

Ramos's performance will determine how fast things happen, though it seems no timetable would be acceptable to Rodriguez.

"There's a lot of baseball left in me," he said after Thursday's 2-0 loss to Atlanta at Nationals Park."