The Washington Nationals selected the contract of infielder Humberto Arteaga from Triple-A Rochester and placed infielder Jordy Mercer on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to July 1) with a strained right quad on Friday. Additionally, the Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Steven Fuentes and placed him on the 60-day Injured List with a right shoulder strain. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.
Arteaga, 27, joins the Nationals after hitting .267 with three doubles, two homers, 11 RBI, six walks and 10 runs scored in 29 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. He split time between shortstop (15 G) and second base (14 G) this season.
The right-handed hitting Arteaga appeared in 41 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2019. He hit .197 with four doubles, four RBI, eight walks, one stolen base and 11 runs scored in his first Major League stint. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Royals organization in 2011 and went on to spend 10 professional seasons with the organization prior to joining the Nationals in 2021.
Mercer, 34, hit .270 with four doubles, one homer, one RBI, three walks and eight runs scored in 32 games for the Nationals.