Nationals select the contracts of Andrés Chaparro and Orlando Ribalta

The Washington Nationals selected the contracts of infielder Andrés Chaparro and right-handed pitcher Orlando Ribalta, and designated Harold Ramírez and Jordan Weems for assignment on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Chaparro, 25, joins Washington for the first Major League stint of his career after he was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro on July 30. This season, Chaparro ranks among all full-season Minor Leaguers in hits (1^st, 132), total bases (3rd, 230), RBI (T3^rd, 85), extra-base hits (5^th, 51), OPS (6^th, .977), slugging percentage (8^th, .572), home runs (T8th, 23), runs (T9^th, 76) and batting average (10^th, .328) in 105 games between Triple-A Reno and Rochester. 

The El Vigia, Venezuela, native homered in four-straight games for Rochester from Aug. 7-9, including in both halves of a doubleheader on Aug. 7 at Buffalo (TOR) and his 100^th career Minor League homer on Aug. 9 against the Bisons. In all, Chaparro slashed .286/.419/.657 with a double, four home runs, 10 RBI, eight walks and seven runs scored in 10 games for the Red Wings.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Chaparro ranks in all of Minor League Baseball in RBI (T3^rd,174), hits (8^th, 261) and home runs (T8^th, 48).

Originally signed by the New York Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in 2016, Chaparro slashed .263/.350/.459 with 125 doubles, 11 triples, 100 home runs, 394 RBI, 19 stolen bases, 282 walks and 364 runs scored in eight Minor League seasons between the Yankees, Diamondbacks and Nationals organizations.

Ribalta, 26, joins the Nationals for his first career Major League stint. He was 5-1 with a 2.58 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 45.1 innings between Triple-A Rochester and Double-A Harrisburg this season. Over his last seven outings for Rochester, he’s allowed just four hits and two walks, striking out 11 in 7.0 innings. Ribalta has pitched scoreless relief in 34 of his 41 games this season.

Since June 23, Ribalta is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 19.0 innings in Triple-A. He’s pitched scoreless relief in 15 of his 17 games and held opposing hitters to a .167 average (11-for-66) during that span.

Selected out of Miami Dade Community College (Fla.) in the 12^th round of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the native of Santa Clara, Cuba is 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA in 124 career Minor League games. Ribalta has struck out 193 in 164.1 innings over five seasons. 

Ramírez, 29, hit .243 with four doubles, a triple, one home run, 16 RBI, a stolen base, two walks and seven runs scored in 25 games for the Nationals.

Weems, 31, was 1-1 with a 6.70 ERA in 41 games for Washington this season.