A closer look at Lobaton and Leon (Ramos' surgery "successful")

NEW YORK - We know now that Wilson Ramos will be out for around four to five weeks after having surgery on his left hand, news that manager Matt Williams confirmed this morning in a weekly appearance on 106.7 The Fan. So where does this leave the Nationals as they wait for their starting catcher to again get back to full health? Backup catcher Jose Lobaton will obviously get bumped up into the starting role, and all indications are that Sandy Leon will get called up from Double-A Harrisburg to serve as the new backup. Let's look at what those two bring to the table and how this will affect the Nats as a whole. Lobaton was acquired in a trade with the Rays this spring, a deal that looked prudent at the time given Ramos' injury history and the lack of an experienced backup within the organization. That trade swung by general manager Mike Rizzo looks even more valuable now. Last season with the Rays, Lobaton hit .249/.320/.394 in 100 games. He got the bulk of the starts behind the plate for a playoff team, had a 100 OPS-plus (which is exactly league average), and hit a walk-off homer off Red Sox closer Koji Uehara in the postseason to keep the Rays alive. The switch-hitting Lobaton is a slightly better hitter from the left side of the plate, but he doesn't have dramatically different splits. Lobaton is considered a solid receiver and a good pitch-framer, but it will likely take him some time to get used to working with the Nats pitching staff to the level he'll now have to. It's easy for a backup catcher to watch from the dugout and pick up on his pitchers' tendencies, demeanor and pitch preferences in certain situations, but it's tougher to do so on the fly to begin the season. Yes, Lobaton got time with these guys in spring, but Ramos has been working with many of the Nats pitchers for years, building a rapport with them and getting to know how each guy should be handled. Lobaton isn't there just yet. As for Leon, the 25-year-old is 8-for-31 (.258) in his brief big league career, and while he hit .322/.396/.460 over three levels of the minors in 2012, he batted just .177/.291/.252 in 95 games at Double-A last season in an injury-plagued year. Leon is also considered a solid defensive backstop, but he likely won't bring the same type of offensive threat off the bench that Lobaton would have in a backup role. The Nats lineup now goes from an incredibly deep one which had Anthony Rendon - who many talent evaluators feel will have a breakout season - hitting eighth on opening day, to a lineup that still appears very talented, but a little less well-rounded. Lobaton could bat eighth the bulk of the time now, which means that Rendon or Adam LaRoche could end up getting bumped up a couple spots higher in the order. Williams talked the other day about how much of a luxury it was to have a guy like Rendon hitting eighth. Well, he likely won't have that luxury anymore with Ramos out, and at least for now, Williams will have to get by with Lobaton and Leon as his two backstops instead of a guy who many around the team felt like was in line for a monster season. Update: The Nats announced this afternoon that Ramos had "successful" surgery to remove the fractured hamate bone in his left hand, and was officially placed on the 15-day disabled list. Leon has been called up from Double-A Harrisburg and will be with the Nats tonight as they face the Mets.