Yepez promoted, Meneses to Red Wings

By MASN Staff

Nationals

July 05, 2024, 2:42pm

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The Washington Nationals selected the contract of first baseman Juan Yepez from Triple-A Rochester on Friday after optioning first baseman Joey Meneses to Triple-A Rochester following the game on Thursday. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray was transferred to the 60-day Injured List. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

Yepez, 26, has hit .263 with 15 doubles, 11 homers, 41 RBI, 40 walks, three stolen bases and 38 runs scored in 74 games for the Red Wings this season. He ranked third among Nationals Minor Leaguers in OPS (.795), tied for third in extra-base hits (26) and walks (40), fourth in home runs (11) and slugging percentage (.438).

Yepez joins the Nationals after hitting .371 (23-for-62) with a .435 on-base percentage (7 BB) and a .565 slugging percentage (3 2B, 3 HR) in his last 16 games with Rochester. He hit safely in 15 of the 16 contests, including six multi-hit efforts.

The right-handed hitting Yepez performed well against right-handed pitching this season, with 13 of his 15 doubles and nine of his 11 home runs coming against right-handed pitchers. He walked (35) more than he struck out (34) in 255 plate appearances against righties.

Yepez hit .240 with 14 doubles, 14 home runs, 32 RBI, 20 walks and 32 runs scored in 104 Major League games across two seasons (2022-23) with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a non-roster invitee to 2024 Spring Training with the Nationals after spending the previous seven seasons in the Cardinals’ organization. Yepez was their co-Minor League Player of the Year in 2021 after leading the organization in homers (27), RBI (77), slugging percentage (.586), OPS (.969), doubles (29) and extra-base hits (56).

A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Yepez signed with the Atlanta Braves as a non-drafted free agent, July 2, 2014. He was acquired by the Cardinals in exchange for Matt Adams, May 20, 2017.

Meneses, 32, hit .231 with 12 doubles, three homers, 43 RBI, 21 walks, two stolen bases and 19 runs scored in 76 games for Washington this season.