The Nationals are expected to activate Mark DeRosa (oblique) from the disabled list on Monday.

DeRosa finished up a short rehab assignment Sunday with High-A Potomac and is no longer being bothered by discomfort in his left oblique. The 37-year-old utilityman will return to a brutal .081/.227/.081 batting line.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Friday that Mark DeRosa (oblique) will likely only need two or three more rehab games.

DeRosa (oblique) went 0-for-2 with a strikeout Thursday in his first rehab game with High-A Potomac. If all goes well, the veteran utility man should be back with the Nationals by the middle of next week.

Mark DeRosa (oblique) went 0-for-2 with a strikeout Thursday in his first rehab game with High-A Potomac.

He also played five innings at third base. DeRosa has been sidelined since the end of April with an oblique and will likely need a few rehab games in order to shake the rust. He should be back with the Nats in a week or so.

Mark DeRosa (oblique) will begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with High-A Potomac.

He's slated to start at third base. It will be his first game action since suffering an oblique strain at the end of April. Barring any setbacks, the veteran infielder should rejoin the Nationals by the end of the month.

Mark DeRosa (oblique strain) has not begun a minor league rehab assignment.

DeRosa was just about ready to head to Triple-A Syracuse when his father passed away late last week. He will probably work out for the next few days with his Nationals teammates before getting geared up for live, minor league action over the weekend.

Mark DeRosa (oblique) won't begin his rehab assignment until Friday due to the death of his father.

DeRosa headed home on Tuesday afternoon and will be there for the next two days. The veteran utilityman is still on track to return to the Nats at some point next week.

Mark DeRosa (oblique) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday.

DeRosa still has some lingering soreness in his left oblique, but Nationals doctors have cleared him to play. He's on track to return to the majors around mid-June.

Mark DeRosa is without a timetable, as his left oblique is still sore.

DeRosa is currently in New Jersey with his father, Jack, who recently suffered a relapse in his battle with cancer. "Mark is by his father's side right now. So we text back and forth. I told him [Jack] needs you more than we do. It's a good time to give [that oblique] a rest," Johnson said.

Mark DeRosa (oblique) took batting practice Sunday.

DeRosa is expected to be activated from the disabled list at some point over the next three days. He's been out since late April with a strained left oblique muscle.

Mark DeRosa (oblique) is scheduled to start throwing on flat ground Wednesday.

DeRosa has been sidelined since late April with an oblique strain. He hopes to start hitting by the end of the week and could be cleared to go out on a minor league rehab assignment from there.

Mark DeRosa aggravated his left oblique strain when he gave Bryce Harper a high-five after the youngster stole home during Sunday's game.

Seriously. "I don't know if that set back the rehab or not," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "But I said, `Why didn't use your [right] hand?' He said it was spur of the moment." DeRosa likely was already still multiple weeks away from a return, and it's possible his absence could now be pushed into June. He was batting just .081 (3-for-37) in 13 games before landing on the DL in late April.

Nationals placed OF Mark DeRosa on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury.

The oft-injured DeRosa was hitting just .081 (3-for-37) in 13 games, seeing most of his starts in left field. The Nationals promoted Tyler Moore in a corresponding move. Moore is expected to back up Adam LaRoche at first base and provide depth behind Bryce Harper.

Mark DeRosa singled, walked three times, drove in a run and scored a run Wednesday against the Mets.

The Mets issued 10 free-passes on the day and DeRosa was credited with an RBI for drawing a bases-loaded walk in the seventh. His second-inning single was his first hit of the young season. DeRosa is a poor bet to stay healthy, but he should continue to get plenty of playing time while Mike Morse (lat) is on the mend.

Mark DeRosa went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Sunday, raising his spring average to .438.

DeRosa will make the Nationals as a utilityman and likely see a fair amount of time in left field and at first base in the early going. NL-only leaguers in need of an injury replacement might want to give him a try, though odds are that he's just going to get hurt himself before too long.

Mark DeRosa said Thursday that his recent calf issue is minor.

DeRosa has sat out the last two games with tightness in his right calf, but he said he's just trying to play it safe. The 37-year-old is currently expected to make the Opening Day roster as a utility player.

Mark DeRosa (calf) was scratched from Thursday's lineup.

DeRosa didn't play Wednesday due to a cramp in his right calf and he's apparently still having issues. It doesn't seem like a major concern right now, but the 37-year-old has a lengthy injury history.

Mark DeRosa won't play in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game due to a cramp in his right calf.

The injury isn't considered major and he could return to action as soon as Thursday. DeRosa is expected to make the Opening Day roster as a utility player.

Mark DeRosa said Tuesday that his surgically-repaired left wrist feels "as good as it's felt" since his initial injury in 2009.

DeRosa, who turns 37 on Sunday, has appeared in just 73 games over the past two seasons, but the Nationals signed him to a guaranteed major-league contract this winter. He's projected to serve in a utility role this season.

Nationals signed INF-OF Mark DeRosa to a one-year contract.

Terms aren't yet available. DeRosa, who turns 37 in February, has appeared in just 73 games over the past two seasons due to a left wrist injury, so he jumped at the chance for a guaranteed major-league deal. The Nationals are expected to use him in a utility role.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that the Nationals and Mark DeRosa have agreed to a contract, pending a physical.

It's expected to be a one-year major league deal, which is quite a gamble given his injury history. DeRosa, who turns 37 in February, has appeared in just 73 games over the past two seasons due to a left wrist injury. He will function as a utility infielder with the Nats.