SAN DIEGO .- It took Joey Meneses 10 seasons in the minor leagues to reach the Majors, but since then he has not left the Washington Nationals’ roster at any time. Since August 22, 2022, Meneses has not once entered the injured list, the restricted list or been sent to Triple-A.
I no longer have time to get injured,” Meneses said jokingly. “But it really took me a long time to get there and I’m trying to take advantage of as much time as possible here, exercising and trying to stay as healthy as possible.”
Even Meneses got off to a cold start this season, hitting below .200 at one point, which kept him out of his usual starting role. It also made him think about the option of being sent back to the minor leagues.
“Of course I thought about it,” said Meneses. “When you are in a bad moment like that, you know that it is an option. Nobody ever told me anything, I didn’t read anywhere that they could send me to the minors, but I am a player with options to go to the minors and return and nothing happens. I tried not to think about it too much, to take going to the bench with a good attitude and thank God I was able to get out of that rut.”
And Meneses, despite being a 32-year-old player with more than a decade of service in United States organizations, acts like any other rookie, where the parameter to determine his rights is counted on his debut day.
If Meneses remains in the Major Leagues, the first salary arbitration to which he would be entitled would not be until 2026, when he will be 34 years old.
The first time he could declare himself a free agent will be in 2028, when he will be 36. His case is currently being studied by the players’ union.
Well, that’s how it was for me,” Meneses said resignedly. “Of course I would like to be in arbitration, in free agency, because the salary is important and it is to ensure the future of the family, but I didn’t have to debut at 23 or 27 years old, I had to until I was 30, and I have to adapt.
Right now I’m trying to enjoy the time I’m here, do my best and try to extend my time here as much as possible. If we reach arbitration, free agency, it will be very good, but for now I am thinking about today’s game,” Meneses explained.
Unlike their first two seasons, when the Nationals were far from making the playoffs, this year they are squarely in the wild-card race.
It is different, observing the standing and seeing that you are in a playoff position or that you are at least close,” said the Sinaolense. “It is true that to stay or not, to be playing, what matters are the individual numbers, but you play for the team, for the team to win and it is very motivating when you see that you are doing well.”
Meneses had an explosive start to his career with five homers in his first nine games, but in 2023 and 2024 he has not been able to show as much power, with 13 homers last year and only three this season. Despite that, he is the team’s RBI leader with 41 in 2024.
“The truth is that it is an issue that worries me,” he confessed. “I have worked a lot on my swing, but the home runs just don’t come, it’s not that easy. I am calm that I have been able to hit with people on base, and that balances things out a bit.”
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2024-06-30 21:23:31