WASHINGTON — The first base position remains fluid for the Nationals.
Joey Meneses, who stepped in when Joey Gallo was sidelined with a left hamstring strain on June 11, was recently optioned to Triple-A Rochester. The Nationals called up Juan Yepez from the Red Wings to start at first base on Friday night.
“It was all really about Joey, trying to get Joey locked in,” manager Dave Martinez said before the Nationals’ 7-6, 11-inning loss to the Cardinals at Nationals Park. “He’ll go down and work on his swing to get back. It’s not the end of Joey.
“Yepez has been hitting well and playing good first base, so we wanted to give him a chance up here. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him down there, so now he gets an opportunity to help us win games.”
Yepez’s first call-up by the Nationals blended new experiences with familiar territory. The 26-year-old, who signed a Minor League deal with the Nats in December after being non-tendered by the Cardinals, impressed during Major League Spring Training and continued to perform well with the Red Wings.
Yepez hit .263 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs, 41 RBIs, 38 runs, 40 walks, and three stolen bases in 74 Triple-A games this season. Among Nationals Minor Leaguers, he ranked third in OPS (.795), tied for third in extra-base hits (26) and walks (40), and ranked fourth in homers and slugging percentage (.438).
Upon learning he would join the Nationals, Yepez reflected on his new team and former one, as the Nats opened a series against the Cardinals, with whom Yepez spent 2017-23 and made his Major League debut in 2022.
“It’s good to see these guys, but I’m just blessed to be here in the big leagues,” said Yepez, who went 8-for-11 against the Cardinals in Spring Training.
On Friday, Yepez went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. His first at-bat saw him overcome an 0-2 count to hit a line-drive single off right-hander Sonny Gray, continuing his trend of production against righties.
Yepez had a high-leverage moment in the 10th inning with Luis García Jr. on second and Nasim Nuñez on third. He faced MLB save leader Ryan Helsley in a 10-pitch at-bat, eventually lining out into a double play.
“Yepez had some really good at-bats,” Martinez said. “He had a tough at-bat against Helsley and lined out. In that situation, Nuñez was going on contact, so it was just unfortunate.”
The Nationals hope Meneses, 32, can use his time with the Red Wings as a reset. In 76 games at DH and first base this season, Meneses hit .231 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 19 runs, 43 RBIs, 21 walks, and two stolen bases.
“I reiterated, ‘You’re going to come back here. It’s just to kind of get you to relax and find consistency in your swing,’” Martinez said. “We’ve done this before with pitching to give guys a break. … I could see he was getting frustrated, and that was key.”
Meneses debuted on August 2, 2022, showing power by batting .324 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in 56 games. Last season, he hit .275 with 13 homers and 89 RBIs in 154 games, primarily as a designated hitter.
“He wasn’t staying in his legs and getting in a good position to hit,” Martinez said. “He came up with clutch RBIs for us, but we need more consistency and for him to drive the ball better.”
Yepez is expected to see the majority of playing time at first base, with Harold Ramírez, Ildemaro Vargas, and Jesse Winker also options for the position.
