Guards bring up Daniel Espino for Tuesday’s DH

Espino managed a 5.40 ERA in five appearances for the Guardians, walking three and striking out nine. The 25-year-old will likely get more chances in the future but was asked to close out last night’s win over the White Sox with 35 pitches and the Guardians opted for a fresh arm.

Espino was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball roughly a half-decade ago, but injuries, including two shoulder surgeries, derailed his trajectory and cost him nearly four full seasons in the minors. The 25-year-old deserves plenty of credit for persevering and completing his journey to the big leagues, though he’s unlikely to offer much immediate fantasy appeal in a low-leverage relief role. The long-term durability questions linger, but the off-the-charts raw stuff is still there, giving him a chance to eventually grow into a high-leverage role down the line.

We don’t expect much in the short term considering the 5.30 ERA and 29/15 K/BB in 18 2/3 innings pitched with Columbus this year, but Espino has plenty of prospect pedigree and has averaged 97.9 mph with his fastball this year out of the bullpen. It’s certainly possible he could eventually emerge as a closer candidate in Cleveland if this is the path they choose to go with him.

It’ll be the first trip to the majors for Espino, who three years ago was considered one of the game’s top three pitching prospects before being derailed by injuries. Moved to the pen this year, has a 5.30 ERA and a 29/15 K/BB in 18 2/3 innings for Triple-A Columbus. He’s hasn’t pitched on back-to-back days at any point, he’s worked on one day of rest just once and he’s yet to get more than three outs in an appearance this year, so it’s hard to see how he fits right now. Still, he’s dealt with a whole lot, and it’s great to see him get the opportunity.

That home run was the first run Espino has allowed this season. He also has a 6/2 K/BB ratio in 5 2/3 innings. What’s more impressive is that the 25-year-old was regularly hitting 99-100 mph on his four-seam fastball despite coming back from two shoulder surgeries. Espino has pitched just 6 1/3 innings since 2022, so at this point, just seeing him on the mound regularly is great. The Guardians could decide to call him up as a reliever at some point this season.

Espino impressed during Cactus League play, but there was never going to be a spot available for him in the Guardians’ Opening Day rotation barring injury. He’ll work out of the rotation at Triple-A Columbus to start the season and should be one of the first names to get the call when someone hits the injured list or the Guardians need a spot starter.

Espino averaged 96.7 mph with the eight fastballs he threw today. Shoulder issues cost Espino almost the entirely of the last four years, but his stuff remains impressive. If he can stay healthy, he should make his major league debut at some point in 2026.

Espino touched 98 mph while not allowing a baserunner. The 25-year-old is not far removed from being one of the very best pitching prospects in baseball, but essentially missed three full seasons due to injuries. There’s significant risk in Espino’s profile, but Sunday was a reminder of the potential reward.

It’s been a long road back for Espino, who has barely pitched over the last four years due to persistent shoulder issues. The hard-throwing 24-year-old was arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball back in 2022 before injuries derailed his development. He returned to minor league game action in late September and will make up for lost time in the fall circuit. It’s challenging to forecast his future given the extended layoff, but his stuff has looked formidable in the brief glimpses we’ve gotten lately. He averaged 96.9 mph on his four-seam fastball in his AFL debut and generated five swinging strikes on 16 pitches. He’s a fascinating pitching prospect to monitor heading into next season.

One of the top pitching prospects in baseball entering the 2022 campaign, Espino returns to minor league game action for the first time since April 29, 2022. The hard-throwing 24-year-old, who has reportedly been touching triple digits in recent bullpen sessions, is poised to pitch in the upcoming Arizona Fall League to make up for lost development time. He’s missed nearly an entire presidential term due to shoulder issues. He’ll be one of the most fascinating prospects to watch over the next few months to see if the stuff returns to pre-injury levels.