J. C. Mejía

Mejía signed with the Cleveland Indians as an international free agent in 2013. He made his professional debut in 2014 with the Dominican Summer League Indians, going 3–0 with a 2.70 ERA in 33+1⁄3 innings. He returned to the Dominican Summer League in both 2015 and 2016, pitching to a 4–3 record and 1.37 ERA in 39+1⁄3 relief innings in 2015, and going 2–4 with a 3.48 ERA in 33+2⁄3 innings in 2016. In 2017, he pitched for both the Arizona League Indians and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers where he compiled a 2–0 record with a 1.22 ERA in 21 relief appearances, and in 2018, he played for the Lake County Captains and the Lynchburg Hillcats, going 4–9 with a 3.31 ERA in 18 games (16 starts).[1]

The Indians added him to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season.[2] Mejía returned to Lynchburg to begin 2019.[3] In 2019, he pitched to a 3-1 record and 4.09 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 33.0 innings of work. Mejía did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]

Mejía began the 2021 season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers. On May 18, 2021, Mejía was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[5] He made his major league debut on May 21, 2021, against the Minnesota Twins, striking out 5 batters in 2+1⁄3 innings of relief. Mejía made 17 appearances in 2021, posting an 8.25 ERA and 47 strikeouts. Mejía was designated for assignment by the newly-named Cleveland Guardians on November 19, 2021.[6]

On November 22, 2021, Mejía was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later (catcher David Fry).[7]

In 2 appearances for Milwaukee, he allowed 6 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks in 2+1⁄3 innings pitched. On May 17, 2022, Mejía was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games after testing positive for stanozolol.[8] On August 18, Mejía was reinstated from his suspension and optioned to the Triple–A Nashville Sounds.[9] On August 24, Mejía was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Nashville.[10]

On October 27, 2022, Mejía re–signed with the Brewers on a minor league contract.[11] He was assigned to Nashville to begin the 2023 season,[12] where he made 23 appearances and logged a 3.86 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 30+1⁄3 innings of work. On July 5, 2023, the Brewers selected Mejía's contract, adding him to the active roster.[13] After posting a 5.56 ERA across 9 appearances, Mejía was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation on August 15.[14] He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on September 11, ending his season.[15] On September 20, he was suspended 162 games after testing positive for stanozolol, the second time he tested positive for the substance in his career.[16]