Espino will serve as the opening pitcher during Thursday's game against the Red Sox, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Espino gave up three earned runs in one inning during his most recent appearance while working as an opener last Friday against the A's, but Cleveland will give him an opportunity to redeem himself Thursday. He'll likely remain in the game for an inning or two before handing the ball over to bulk reliever Joey Cantillo.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Opening Friday's contest
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Espino is slated to serve as the Guardians' opening pitcher for Friday's game against the Athletics, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Espino will draw his second start in less than a week, but he's not expected to cover more than an inning or two before giving way to the bullpen. Lefty Joey Cantillo is available on five days' rest and is expected to work in bulk relief behind Espino.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Making first MLB start Saturday
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Espino will serve as the Guardians' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Twins in Minnesota, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Gavin Williams had been lined up to start Saturday, but the Guardians will instead push their ace back a couple days in the schedule so that he can make his next start Monday in the series opener versus the division-leading White Sox. Espino will thus be called upon to make his first MLB start Saturday, though he's pitched almost exclusively in relief both for the big club and at Triple-A Columbus this season and will likely be limited to a 1-to-2-inning appearance. Once Espino exits the game, Joey Cantillo could be called upon to pitch in bulk relief.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Promoted to Cleveland
Rotowire
The Guardians recalled Espino from Triple-A Columbus on Friday.
Espino will return for his first stint with the big-league club since late July, when he appeared in just one game. With Columbus, the right-hander owns a 3-1 record, 3.68 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 49:22 K:BB over 36.2 innings this season. Cleveland optioned Logan Allen to Triple-A to clear a roster spot for Espino.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Back with big club
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The Guardians recalled Espino from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Espino will serve as the 27th man on the roster for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader in Cincinnati. The right-hander made five appearances out of the Cleveland bullpen earlier this season, allowing three runs with a 9:3 K:BB. Espino will likely be sent back down after the twin bill.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Dispatched to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Guardians optioned Espino to Triple-A Columbus on Friday.
He'll swap places with Franco Aleman, who was summoned from Columbus in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old Espino made his major-league debut last month and allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with nine strikeouts across his first five big-league innings out of Cleveland's bullpen.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Scoreless frame in MLB debut
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Espino recorded two strikeouts over one perfect inning against the Brewers on Wednesday.
Espino came in to relieve Gavin Williams in the sixth inning and struck out Garrett Mitchell and Cooper Pratt before inducing a flyout for a clean MLB debut. The 2019 first-round pick, who was once one of the top prospects in baseball before injuries took a toll, had a 5.30 ERA and a 29:15 K:BB in 22 appearances (18.2 innings) for Triple-A Columbus this year prior to being promoted last week.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Long-awaited big-league promotion
Rotowire
The Guardians will recall Espino from Triple-A Columbus prior to Friday's game against the Tigers, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Following two shoulder surgeries and multiple missed seasons due to injury, Espino is finally poised to make his major-league debut. The right-hander has been used out of the bullpen at Columbus, posting a 5.30 ERA and 29:15 K:BB over 18.2 innings of work. The timing of the call-up is interesting, given that Espino was scored upon in three of his last four outings at Triple-A, but the Guardians feel he's ready for his first big-league opportunity. Espino is likely to be used in low-leverage situations initially.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Headed to Triple-A
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The Guardians optioned Espino to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Espino fired two scoreless innings during spring training but unsurprisingly won't make Cleveland's Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old made an appearance for Triple-A Columbus late last season, which was his first game action since 2022 after requiring multiple shoulder surgeries.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Making Triple-A start Saturday
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Espino (shoulder) will serve as the opening pitcher for Triple-A Columbus on Saturday versus Omaha.
It will be the first game appearance since April 2022 for Espino, who is working his way back from March 2024 surgery to repair his right shoulder capsule and rotator cuff. The 24-year-old was once one of the top pitching prospects in the game but has had his career derailed by numerous arm injuries. Espino will knock some rust off with Columbus this weekend and is then slated to pitch in the Arizona Fall League.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Extends throwing distance
Rotowire
Espino (shoulder) extended his throwing distance to 120 feet Wednesday.
Espino still has a long way to go in his rehab after undergoing two shoulder procedures in the past 21 months. He hasn't yet been completely ruled out for 2025, but he won't have the chance to make any appearances until late in the year.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Espino (shoulder) was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Friday.
Espino is still working his way back from right shoulder surgery and isn't expected to pitch in games until around midseason. The top prospect didn't pitch at all in 2023 after being limited to only four starts in 2022 because of arm problems.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Joins 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Guardians selected Espino (shoulder) to their 40-man roster Tuesday.
Espino missed all of 2023 due to a shoulder issue which eventually led to anterior capsule repair surgery, but he ranked as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball before that injury arose. The 22-year-old right-hander appears on track to return to live games around the middle of the 2024 campaign.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Out 12-to-14 months after surgery
Rotowire
Espino underwent a right shoulder anterior capsule repair surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles and is expected to remain out of game action for 12-to-14 months, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
The surgery was performed by renowned shoulder and elbow specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache. It's another significant setback for Espino, a right-hander who has showcased some of the best stuff among pitching prospects in baseball when healthy, but he's been able to accumulate only 18.1 innings since the start of the 2022 season. Assuming the 12-to-14-month recovery timeline holds, Espino will be out of commission until the summer of 2024.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Shut down with shoulder setback
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Espino (shoulder) has been shut down from throwing and is planning to visit with a doctor after suffering recent setbacks, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Espino was placed on Double-A Akron's 60-day injured list before the season due to a subscapularis strain and anterior capsule tear in his right shoulder. The right-hander has looked like one of the best pitching prospects in baseball when he's been on the mound, but he's accumulated only 18.1 innings since the start of the 2022 season. The Guardians maintained hoped that Espino would be able to return to game action in the early part of the summer, but that's now in doubt in light of his recent setbacks.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: On track for summer return
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Espino (shoulder) is on track to return from the 60-day injured list by June or July, Brad Bournival of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Espino is on the 60-day IL with a subscapularis strain and anterior capsule tear in his right shoulder. The Guardians seem to be holding him back as a precaution, as Double-A Akron manager Rouglas Odor noted that Espino was already throwing and playing catch when minor-league camp ended in late March. The right-hander has impressive raw stuff but has had trouble staying healthy during his professional career; he hasn't made a start since last April.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Starts up throwing program
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Espino (knee) resumed a throwing program Sunday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
The Guardians will likely proceed cautiously with their star pitching prospect after he initially went on Double-A Akron's 7-day injured list in early May with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. He posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 35:4 K:BB across 18.1 innings prior to landing on the IL. In addition to the knee injury, Mandy Bell of MLB.com notes that Espino experienced right shoulder pain during his absence. The 21-year-old is likely weeks away from rejoining the Akron rotation.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Managing patella tendinitis
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Espino was removed from Friday's start at Double-A Akron due to patella tendinitis, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Espino apparently felt something in his knee during his last start, and he received treatment ahead of Friday's outing. He exited Friday's matchup after he aggravated the issue while covering first base. Prior to the right-hander's departure, he allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out five in 4.2 innings. Espino drew attention in spring training and has posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 35:4 K:BB in 18.1 innings over four starts in Akron to begin the season. It's not yet clear whether his injury will force him to miss additional time.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Generating spring hype
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Espino has impressed this spring despite not pitching in any major-league games, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.
Actually, Passan characterized scouts' take on Espino's recent start against Reds minor leaguers as a "religious experience." His fastball exceeded 100 mph, he showed off a hard slider and a 12-to-6 curveball, and apparently his changeup is coming along as well. Still just 21 years old, Espino hasn't yet pitched above High-A -- where he recorded an insane 16.2 K/9 across 10 starts last season -- but he's got some of the best stuff in the minor leagues. There's a chance we could see him in the majors at some point this year, but it's more likely that the Guardians will keep him in the minors to refine his offspeed offerings. Once the likes of Grayson Rodriguez and George Kirby graduate this year, Espino will quickly enter the conversation for the best pitching prospect in baseball.
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Indians' Daniel Espino: Mixed results in minors
Rotowire
Espino has a 1-5 record, 4.64 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 33 innings since being promoted to High-A Lake County, but he also has a 63:13 K:BB in that span.
The good news is that thanks to his elite bat-missing ability, Espino's FIP is 3.52 and his xFIP is an even more impressive 2.41; the bad news is that he's been touched for six homers in his seven High-A starts and hasn't finished six innings once this season. That includes his 10 starts at Low-A Lynchburg, where Espino posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.34 WHIP alongside a 64:23 K:BB in 42.2 innings. Espino's calling card is his high-end fastball velocity, as he's touched 100 mph, but scouts are also bullish on his slider, curveball and changeup. That said, his control remains a work in progress. Espino is a high-variance prospect who has the stuff to be an ace starter but may not have the durability. Of course, even if he does eventually end up in the bullpen, he'd be an elite relief arm.
