Athletics Expected to Call Up Former Nationals Standout

The 34-year-old signed a minor league contract with the A's this past November. In 69 games at Triple-A this season, Meneses is slashing .348/.401/.543 with 11 home runs and 76 RBIs. He ranks first in the Pacific Coast League in both batting average and RBIs.

Meneses also represented Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic this spring, going 3-for-6 with an RBI across three games.

While the PCL is a very hitter-friendly league, Meneses has had success at the major league level. He burst onto the scene with Washington during his rookie season in 2022, slashing .324/.367/.563 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in 56 games. Meneses' numbers remained solid in his first full season in 2023, as he hit .275 with 13 home runs and 89 RBIs across 154 games.

However, Meneses was optioned to Triple-A Rochester in July 2024 after slashing .231/.291/.302 with three home runs and 42 RBIs through 76 games. Since then, he has bounced around several teams' Triple-A affiliates, including the New York Mets' Triple-A Syracuse last season and the A's Triple-A Las Vegas this season.

Meneses will hope to carry over the power he has shown with Triple-A Las Vegas this season to an Athletics lineup that recently lost Brent Rooker. The two-time All-Star has been sidelined since June 8 with a bone bruise in his left knee.

However, what role Meneses will fill in the lineup remains uncertain. Nick Kurtz has first base locked down and is putting together an MVP-caliber season. Meneses has experience playing outfield throughout his professional career, but he has exclusively played first base or served as the designated hitter with Triple-A Las Vegas in 2026.

Tyler Soderstrom in left field (13 HR, 40 RBI, .816 OPS) and Henry Bolte in center field (.315 AVG, .814 OPS) have performed well this season. However, right fielder Lawrence Butler has struggled, posting a .196 average and .583 OPS through 69 games. He has also recorded just five home runs and 20 RBIs.

Meneses could become a valuable option there against left-handed pitching. There is also the designated hitter position, where the A's have alternated between Jonah Heim and Carlos Cortes since Rooker went down.

It will be interesting to see how the Athletics deploy Meneses during his first big-league stint since 2024. For Meneses, though, the opportunity is a chance to prove he can remain at the major league level in a new chapter with the A's.

The Athletics (38-39) will look to win their series against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday at 4:05 ET.