WASHINGTON -- The Nationals have recalled catcher Pedro Severino from Triple-A Syracuse and placed catcher Jose Lobaton on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to July 20) with left elbow tendonitis, the club announced Friday.
Lobaton has been dealing with the issue since Spring Training, and the pain got so bad he needed a cortisone shot last month. The shot cleared the pain for a bit, but it recently returned and he was not cleared to receive another shot. When he found out he was scheduled to play on Saturday afternoon, he said the pain was too severe for him to catch.
This will be Severino's second stint with the Nationals. Severino, who is the 16th-best prospect in the Nats' system, according to MLBPipeline.com, last played with the club on April 28. In 73 games for Syracuse, Severino was hitting .259 with two home runs and 17 RBIs.
Severino will start Saturday in order to give Ramos a day off and to catch right-hander Reynaldo López, as the two have experience working together in the Minors.
The Nationals do not consider the injury serious for Lobaton, who is Gio Gonzalez's personal catcher, and hope he's ready to return by next weekend. He has appeared in 27 games for Washington and is hitting .194 with three home runs and six RBIs.