C Jose Lobaton is expected to be activated Friday after going 5-for-13 during a three-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse. He has been sidelined since July 20 because of left elbow tendinitis.

C Jose Lobaton (left elbow tendinitis) is expected to be activated Friday after he completes a three-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

C Jose Lobaton (left elbow tendinitis) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse and went 2-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. He was placed on the disabled list July 29 retroactive to July 20.

C Jose Lobaton (tendinitis in left elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday. The catcher took a cortisone shot in his painful elbow last month, but it hasn't cured his problem. When told he was scheduled to catch Saturday against the San Francisco Giants, Lobaton told manager Dusty Baker he couldn't do it, and was in turn placed on the DL.

C Jose Lobaton (tendinitis in left elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday.

C Jose Lobaton hit his first home run of the season Sunday, putting the Nationals on the board with a leadoff shot at the expense of Milwaukee's Jacob Barnes. It marked the 15th home run of Lobaton's career and his first since June 28, 2015

C Jose Lobaton went 1-for-3 in his first start since June 3. Lobaton tried to score in the sixth inning, but was thrown out at home plate by White Sox shortstop Tyler Saladino.

C Jose Lobaton made his first start since June 3 on Thursday night in place of C Wilson Ramos, who had the day off.

C Jose Lobaton got a rare start Friday, as he has been the catcher most of the time when Gio Gonzalez is the starting pitcher. He was thrown out trying to score in the second after a double by Gonzalez. He had one hit two at-bats.

C Jose Lobaton, normally the backup catcher, started for the second game in a row Wednesday as C Wilson Ramos was put on the bereavement list Tuesday due to the death of his grandfather, Jesus Campos. Lobaton was 0-for-3 and is hitting .158. Ramos is slated to be with the Nationals on Friday when they begin a road trip in St. Louis.

C Jose Lobaton, normally the backup catcher, got the start Tuesday after C Wilson Ramos was placed on the bereavement list. Lobaton entered the game hitting .250, but he had three hits in his previous start. He wound up going 0-for-4, dropping his average to .188.

C Jose Lobaton got a rare start Friday and he made the most of it.Lobaton drove in his first three runs of the year and had his first triple since 2013 and just the third of his career. "It is important for me but more important for the team," he said of the win.

C Jose Lobaton made his first start Tuesday, as he caught Gio Gonzalez. Regular catcher Wilson Ramos got the night off after he had four hits Monday. "I give a lot of credit to Loby," said pitcher Gio Gonzalez, who threw six scoreless innings. The switch hitter had one hit in three at-bats.

Lobaton got a rare start Saturday and went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and two RBI in a 12-6 loss to San Francisco.

Ramos got a scheduled day off and Lobaton came through with a solid game. The problem with Lobaton is that he only hits for power and has failed to record a multi-hit game since late June.

Lobaton will get the start behind the plate and bat seventh, according to Mark Zuckerman of Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic.

Lobaton has played in only 23 games this season, hitting .205 in 73 at-bats, but is giving Wilson Ramos a night off behind the plate. He's hitless in his last four appearances after stringing together back-to-back multi-hit games toward the end of June.

Loboton went 3-for-4 Saturday with a two-run home run off Julio Teheran, his second homer of the season.

He's owned Teheran in his career, and Saturday's performance just added to the dominance. Loboton hasn't seen a lot of work behind Wilson Ramos so far, but he's now hitting .304/.429/.565 in 23 at-bats on the season.

Lobaton went 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI against the Cardinals on Friday.

He's hitting just .207.281/.345 this spring in 29 at-bats, but Lobaton is locked is as the Nationals' number two catcher, a role that has more playing time potential than most backup gigs given Wilson Ramos' inability to stay healthy.

Lobaton agreed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Nationals on Thursday, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reports.

Lobaton had a good decent season for the Nationals in 2014, playing in 66 games as the backup to Wilson Ramos. He finished the campaign with a .234/.287/.304 batting line, hitting two home runs and driving in 12 on the season. He figures to fit into the same role again in 2015.

Lobaton was tendered a contract prior to Tuesday's deadline.

The Nationals like his defense and game-calling behind the plate, so Lobaton will return as an affordable backup to Wilson Ramos.

Lobaton got the start on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI.

With Wilson Ramos healthy, Lobaton is only seeing occasional game action right now. Don't expect that to change down the stretch unless Ramos breaks down again.