J. C. Mejía

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = J. C. Mejía

|image =

|team = Diablos Rojos del México

|number =

|position = Pitcher

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|8|26}}

|birth_place = Gaspar Hernández, Dominican Republic

|bats = Right

|throws = Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = May 21

|debutyear = 2021

|debutteam = Cleveland Indians

|statleague = MLB

|statyear = 2023 season

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 2–7

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 8.32

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 61

|teams =

Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|2021}})
Milwaukee Brewers ({{mlby|2022}}–{{mlby|2023}})

}}

Jean Carlos Mejía (born August 26, 1996) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers.

Career

=Cleveland Indians=

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 {{frac|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 {{frac|39|1|3}} relief innings in 2015, and going 2–4 with a 3.48 ERA in {{frac|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).{{cite web|url=http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=650496#/career/R/pitching/2019/ALL |title=Jean Carlos Mejia Stats, Highlights, Bio | MiLB.com Stats | The Official Site of Minor League Baseball |publisher=Milb.com |access-date=2021-01-07}}

The Indians added him to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2018/11/cleveland-indians-put-bobby-bradley-sam-hentges-jean-carlos-mejia-on-40-man-add-rhp-lockett-in-trade-with-san-diego.html|title=Cleveland Indians put Bobby Bradley, Sam Hentges, Jean Carlos Mejia on 40-man; add RHP Lockett in trade with San Diego|first1=Paul|last1=Hoynes|last2=clevel|last3=.com|website=cleveland.com|date=21 November 2018 |access-date=December 14, 2018}} Mejía returned to Lynchburg to begin 2019.{{cite web|last=Karalis |first=John |url=https://thesportsdaily.com/2019/04/11/jean-carlos-mejia-back-in-lynchburg-after-40-man-add-brb11/ |title=Jean Carlos Mejia back in Lynchburg after 40 man add |publisher=The Sports Daily |date=2019-04-11 |access-date=2021-01-07}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/06/2020-minor-league-season-will-be-canceled.html|first=TC|last=Zencka|title=2020 Minor League Season Canceled|website=MLB Trade Rumors|date=30 June 2020 }}

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.{{cite web| url = http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/transactions/#month=5&year=2021| title = Major League Baseball Transactions {{!}} MLB.com}} He made his major league debut on May 21, 2021, against the Minnesota Twins, striking out 5 batters in {{frac|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.{{cite news |title=Guardians Announce Series Of 40-man Roster Moves |url=https://www.mlb.com/guardians/press-release/guardians-announce-series-of-40-man-roster-moves |publisher=CleGuardians.com |date=November 19, 2021}}

=Milwaukee Brewers=

On November 22, 2021, Mejía was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a player to be named later (catcher David Fry).{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Ryan |title=Guardians trade Harold Ramirez to Chicago Cubs, J.C. Mejia to Milwaukee Brewers |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/mlb/cleveland-guardians/2021/11/22/guardians-trade-harold-ramirez-cubs-j-c-mejia-brewers/8720999002/ |access-date=February 16, 2023 |work=Akron Beacon Journal |date=November 22, 2021}}

In 2 appearances for Milwaukee, he allowed 6 runs on 5 hits and 5 walks in {{fraction|2|1|3}} innings pitched. On May 17, 2022, Mejía was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games after testing positive for stanozolol.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/05/17/jc-mejia-brewers-pitcher-suspended-80-games-positive-ped-test|title=Brewers RP J.C. Mejia Suspended 80 Games for Positive PED Test|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=May 17, 2022|accessdate=June 6, 2022}} On August 18, Mejía was reinstated from his suspension and optioned to the Triple–A Nashville Sounds.{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia: Reinstated, sent down|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brewers-j-c-mejia-reinstated-sent-down/|access-date=July 5, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=18 August 2022 |language=en}} On August 24, Mejía was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A Nashville.{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia: Outrighted to Triple-A|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brewers-j-c-mejia-outrighted-to-triple-a/|access-date=July 5, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=24 August 2022 |language=en}}

On October 27, 2022, Mejía re–signed with the Brewers on a minor league contract.{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia: Sticks with Milwaukee|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brewers-j-c-mejia-sticks-with-milwaukee/|access-date=July 5, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=27 October 2022 |language=en}} He was assigned to Nashville to begin the 2023 season,{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia: Reassigned to minors camp|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brewers-j-c-mejia-reassigned-to-minors-camp/|access-date=July 5, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=13 March 2023 |language=en}} where he made 23 appearances and logged a 3.86 ERA with 32 strikeouts in {{fraction|30|1|3}} innings of work. On July 5, 2023, the Brewers selected Mejía's contract, adding him to the active roster.{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia: Selected to MLB bullpen|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brewers-j-c-mejia-selected-to-mlb-bullpen/|access-date=July 5, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=5 July 2023 |language=en}} After posting a 5.56 ERA across 9 appearances, Mejía was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation on August 15.{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia: Placed on 15-day IL|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brewers-j-c-mejia-placed-on-15-day-il/|access-date=September 11, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=15 August 2023 |language=en}} He was transferred to the 60–day injured list on September 11, ending his season.{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia: Shifts to 60-day IL|url=https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/brewers-j-c-mejia-shifts-to-60-day-il/|access-date=September 11, 2023|website=cbssports.com|date=11 September 2023 |language=en}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Brewers' J.C. Mejia suspended 162 games for positive PED test|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38448345/brewers-jc-mejia-suspended-162-games-positive-ped-test|access-date=September 20, 2023|website=espn.com|date=20 September 2023 |language=en}} He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 17.

=Diablos Rojos del México=

On December 6, 2023, Mejia signed with the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. {{cite web | url=https://www.milb.com/mexican/news/diablos-rojos-ramon-flores-regresa-en-2024 | title=Diablos Rojos: Ramón Flores regresa en 2024 }} However he did not make the team and became a free agent before the season.

On January 31, 2025, Mejía re-signed with the Diablos Rojos for the 2025 season.{{Cite tweet|user=DiablosRojosMX|number=1885402772503175310|title=La gloria de J.C. Mejía invade el infierno 💙❤️🔒 EL LÍDER SALVAMENTOS DE LA LIDOM, ES DIABLO 🇩🇴 Bienvenido al 17 veces campeón 🏆x17 República Dominicana está en la casa 📍|date=31 January 2025|language=es|access-date=31 January 2025}}