Yepez went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 12-3 loss to the Padres.
Yepez helped the Nationals to a hot start with his first-inning blast, but it was all Padres after that. The 26-year-old is still yet to be held hitless in his Washington career, and his power has come around with two homers and two doubles over five games since the All-Star break. He's batting .368 with two homers, eight RBI, 10 runs scored, one stolen base and eight doubles over 15 contests in the majors this year.
Yepez went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a second run scored in Friday's 8-5 win over Cincinnati.
Yepez took Frankie Montas deep in the third inning, driving a two-strike pitch over the left-field fence to extend Washington's lead to 7-1. It's the first homer of the year for Yepez, though he's swung the bat well since he was called up July 5 -- the outfielder has at least one hit in all 11 games he's appeared in. Overall, Yepez is slashing an eye-popping .390/.468/.610 with six RBI and eight runs scored across 47 plate appearances as he continues to make a case for an everyday role.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Juan Yepez: Stays warm Sunday
Rotowire
Yepez went 2-for-3 with a walk, one stolen base, one RBI and one run scored in Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Brewers.
Yepez has hit safely in all 10 of his major-league games this season, and this was his third straight multi-hit effort. He's also shown modest power with six doubles, though he's yet to hit a home run. The 26-year-old has added three RBI and six runs scored over 43 plate appearances, and his steal Sunday was the first of his major-league career. Until Joey Gallo (hamstring) returns from the IL, Yepez is likely to maintain a firm grip on a starting job at first base.
Yepez went 1-for-2 with two walks and a double in Thursday's loss to the Mets.
Since taking over the starting job at first base for the Nationals, Yepez has hit safely in seven straight games, batting .308 (8-for-26) with four doubles, two RBI and 4:5 BB:K. Joey Gallo (hamstring) likely won't be ready to come off the IL immediately after the All-Star break, but if Yepez keeps producing, he may not give the job back whenever the veteran slugger does get activated. Gallo's .606 OPS through 165 plate appearances this season is a career low, and Washington has already cut loose struggling players who don't factor into their future plans like Eddie Rosario and Nick Senzel.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Juan Yepez: Collects hit in team debut
Rotowire
Yepez went 1-for-4 with a walk in Friday's extra-innings loss to the Cardinals.
Called up Thursday to replace Joey Meneses on the big-league roster, Yepez got his first start with the Nationals and banged out his first hit while starting at first base and batting seventh. The former Cardinal could get regular playing time at first base in the short term, but he'll likely get bumped to the bench or even back to the minors once Joey Gallo (hamstring) gets healthy.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Juan Yepez: Back in majors
Rotowire
Yepez had his contract selected by the Nationals and was promoted to the majors on Thursday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Yepez has spent the year at Triple-A Rochester but will return to the majors after hitting .307 with an .833 OPS in June. The Nationals optioned Joey Meneses to Rochester on Thursday, so Yepez likely has his clearest path to playing time at first base.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Juan Yepez: Gets minors deal from Nationals
Rotowire
Yepez signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Presumably, Yepez will be given an invitation to the major-league side of spring training as part of the contract. The 25-year-old was non-tendered by the Cardinals last month following a disappointing 2023 season, but Yepez slugged 28 homers between the majors and minors in 2022. He will compete for the Nationals' first base job.
... See More... See Less
Juan Yepez: Becomes free agent
Rotowire
Yepez was non-tendered by the Cardinals on Friday, making him a free agent.
Yepez has flashed good power at times over the course of his professional career, but he put up a relatively underwhelming .736 OPS in 86 games this past season at the Triple-A level and struggled mightily in a couple different stints with St. Louis. The 25-year-old will look for a change of scenery this winter.
Cardinals' Juan Yepez: Getting start in left field
Rotowire
Yepez is starting in left field and batting fifth in Thursday's game against the Brewers.
Yepez was recalled Sunday and will see his first action in the majors since back in early June. The 25-year-old has spent the majority of the season at Triple-A Memphis, where he's posted just a .736 OPS with nine homers in 86 contests.
... See More... See Less
Cardinals' Juan Yepez: Back in majors
Rotowire
Yepez was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Yepez was up with the Cardinals early in the season but has been at Triple-A since early June. The 25-year-old has a .664 OPS in 46 big-league plate appearances this year, though he was better for Memphis with a .255/.323/.413 slash line in 86 games.
St. Louis optioned Yepez to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
Dylan Carlson (ankle) has been activated from the injured list in a corresponding 26-man roster move. Yepez, 25, carries a rough .214/.283/.381 batting line with two home runs in 20 games (46 plate appearances) this season at the major-league level.
... See More... See Less
Cardinals' Juan Yepez: Homers off bench Thursday
Rotowire
Yepez went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 16-8 win over the Dodgers.
Yepez got in on the homer party despite not starting the contest -- he entered as a pinch hitter for Tommy Edman (abdomen) in the third inning and promptly hit a solo shot. There hasn't been much playing time for Yepez since he was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on May 5, but the Cardinals' outfield is starting to feel the impact of injuries. In addition to Edman, Dylan Carlson (ankle) and Tyler O'Neill (back) are nursing injuries. It's possible Yepez could serve as a platoon option in the corner outfielder positions in the near team. He's slashing .250/.276/.464 with two homers, two RBI and four runs scored through 29 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Cardinals' Juan Yepez: Heads to bench
Rotowire
Yepez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game in Boston.
After starting in each of the past three games while going 1-for-7 with a walk and a run scored, Yepez will cede left field to Brendan Donovan in the series finale. With Willson Contreras expected to transition back to full-time catching duties beginning with Monday's game against the Brewers, Donovan could end up shifting to second base while Nolan Gorman steps in as St. Louis' primary designated hitter. Assuming that's the case, Yepez could still have a path to seeing playing time in left field, though perhaps in the short side of a platoon.
