When he was still searching for his place in professional baseball, Juan Yepez found himself at Wrigley Field for a June 2017 game between the Padres and Cubs. The Cardinals traded for the corner infielder a month earlier, and Yepez was a few weeks into the first of what would be three seasons he’d spend, in parts, at Class A Peoria.
That put him driving distance from Wrigley, close enough to catch a game. But it didn’t matter how near his seat was to the field, he felt further away from the majors than ever.
If he did squint to picture himself out there, it wasn’t in the outfield.