Good morning, Washington Nationals fans.

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, July 5.

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Welcome to the Morning Briefing! Haden here. The Nationals optioned Joey Meneses to Triple-A. Let’s talk about it.

Leading this Morning's Briefing: Meneses out, Yepez in

After yesterday’s game, the Nationals announced that they optioned Joey Meneses to Triple-A Rochester and called up 1B/OF Juan Yepez to take his spot. Meneses has struggled mightily this season, hitting .231/.291/.306 over 313 plate appearances. His contact quality does not suggest he was unlikely either, and since he provides zero defensive value, his spot has been in danger for a while.

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With Harold Ramirez on the roster already on the roster as a short side platoon bat, the Nationals likely felt extra motivated to find someone with a bit more upside offensively.

This is likely the end of the line for Meneses with the Nationals. After a dominant second half in 2022, Meneses has struggled to recapture anything close to that form. If he can regain some power, he could potentially play his way back onto the roster.

Yepez was a breakout prospect with the Cardinals just a few years ago, but with no space and a down year in 2023, they opted to move on from the prospect. The 26-year-old hit .267/.357/.438 in Triple-A to start the year. Yepez has nearly as many walks as he has strikeouts this season, as stark contrast from 2023 where he barely walked and struck out at a much higher rate.

Worst case scenario, Yepez is a younger and slight upgrade offensively and defensively. Best case scenario is the Nationals found a reliable bat that they can plug in at first base or designated hitter for the next five years.

The Nationals host the Cardinals tonight. Patrick Corbin will take the mound for the Nats with RHP Sonny Gray (9-5, 2.98 ERA) taking the mound for the Cardinals. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m. ET and the game will be on MASN.

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