The Blue Jays outrighted Espino to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Espino was removed from the 40-man roster earlier this week but has cleared waivers and will remain in the organization. The swingman holds a 5.18 ERA over 73 innings with Buffalo in 2024.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Cast off 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Blue Jays designated Espino for assignment Sunday.
Toronto swapped Espino off the 40-man roster for another right-hander in Dillon Tate, who's seven years younger and possesses a better track record at the big-league level. The 37-year-old Espino has made just three appearances for Toronto this season, instead spending most of the 2024 campaign as a starter at Triple-A Buffalo, with whom he turned in a 5.18 ERA over 73 innings.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Sent back to Buffalo
Rotowire
The Blue Jays optioned Espino to Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday.
Espino gave up four runs in four innings and took the loss during his spot start in Baltimore on Wednesday, and he'll now head back to the minors following the poor outing. The 37-year-old veteran has given up eight runs in 8.2 innings with the Blue Jays this season, and he owns a 5.09 ERA through 53 frames at Triple-A.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Falls to Baltimore
Rotowire
Espino (0-1) took the loss Wednesday against the Orioles, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks over four innings. He struck out one.
The O's got to Espino quickly Wednesday, scoring twice in the opening inning before tacking on runs in both the second and third. It was a one-time start for the 37-year-old Espino, as the Jays looked to give their rotation some extra rest. Overall, Espino's allowed eight earned runs while posting a 2.08 WHIP across 8.2 innings in the majors this season. While it doesn't seem like he'll stay in the rotation, Espino could stick with Toronto as a swingman to help lengthen the Jays' trade-depleted bullpen.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Called up ahead of start
Rotowire
The Blue Jays recalled Espino from Triple-A Buffalo ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday in Baltimore.
Espino made two relief appearances in April for the Blue Jays but will be making his first start with the club and his first in the majors since the 2022 season. After returning from Buffalo's 7-day injured list July 4, Espino didn't cover more than four innings in any of his subsequent three outings prior to his call-up, so he could struggle to reach the five innings he would need to hit Wednesday to qualify for a win. The Blue Jays could look to Yariel Rodriguez to provide length behind Espino out of the bullpen.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Slated to start Wednesday
Rotowire
Espino will be called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday to start for the Blue Jays in their series finale in Baltimore, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
The 37-year-old righty will be back with the Blue Jays for the first time since April and is slated to make his first MLB start since 2022. He's been a full-time member of the rotation during his stay with Buffalo this season, logging a 5.09 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 36:18 K:BB in 53 innings. Espino hasn't covered more than four innings in any of his three starts with Buffalo since returning from a brief stint on the 7-day injured list earlier in July. As a result, Espino could be a candidate to get piggybacked Wednesday by Yariel Rodriguez, who struggled in the first inning of his start during the first game of the series Monday before being pulled after tossing only 43 pitches.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Healthy again at Triple-A
Rotowire
Espino (undisclosed) has given up seven earned runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out three over 5.2 innings in his two starts since being reinstated from Triple-A Buffalo's 7-day injured list July 4.
Espino missed a little over three weeks with the unspecified injury. The 37-year-old right-hander made two appearances out of the Toronto bullpen in April and retains a spot on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster, but he hasn't made a compelling case for another call-up after turning in a 5.80 ERA and 1.56 WHIP over 45 innings since returning to Buffalo.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Shut down at Triple-A
Rotowire
Triple-A Buffalo placed Espino on its 7-day injured list Wednesday with an unspecified injury.
Espino hadn't pitched for Buffalo since May 30 before he was deactivated. The 37-year-old right-hander made two appearances for the Blue Jays earlier in the season and still possesses a spot on Toronto's 40-man roster, but he's pitched exclusively at the Triple-A level since mid-April. He owns a 4.57 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 29:15 K:BB in 43.1 innings over his nine starts with Buffalo.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Espino was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.
Espino gave up four earned runs on six hits, including two home runs, and a walk in 2.2 innings Friday against the Rockies, so he wouldn't have been available over the rest of the weekend anyway, and his poor performance could have punched his ticket to the minors. Yariel Rodriguez was called up to make his big-league debut in a corresponding move.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Contract selected
Rotowire
The Blue Jays selected Espino's contract from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
The 37-year-old right-hander will give the Jays a fresh long relief arm, taking Wes Parsons' spot on the roster. Espino has collected a 5.01 ERA in 94 appearances (41 starts) over parts of five major-league seasons.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Gets stretched out Saturday
Rotowire
Espino allowed three runs on six hits over four innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees. He struck out four without walking a batter.
The 37-year-old right-hander built up to 65 pitches (47 strikes) as the Blue Jays keep their options open for the rotation with both Kevin Gausman (shoulder) and Alek Manoah (shoulder) expected to miss the start of the season. Espino's posted an impressive 16:2 K:BB through 12 innings this spring, but he's served up three homers, including a two-run shot by Giancarlo Stanton in the third inning Saturday. Bowden Francis seems locked into one of the available rotation spots, leaving Mitch White as Espino's main competition for the other.
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Blue Jays' Paolo Espino: Gets minors deal from Blue Jays
Rotowire
Espino signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Espino was a heavily-used swingman with the Nationals from 2021-22, collecting a 4.56 ERA over 77 appearances (29 starts). He spent most of the 2023 season at Triple-A Rochester while also missing time with a flexor strain in his right ring finger. The veteran right-hander will turn 37 next month and seems likely to open the 2024 campaign in Triple-A Buffalo's rotation.
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Paolo Espino: Cut loose by Washington
Rotowire
The Nationals unconditionally released Espino (finger) on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Espino hadn't started a rehab assignment in the minors since being placed on the 15-day injured list July 19 with a flexor strain in his right ring finger. The injury might not be anything severe enough to keep him out for the remainder of the season, but even once he's healthy, Espino looks like he'll have to find work in a new organization. After posting a 24.75 ERA and 4.25 WHIP in four innings with the big club this season before being deactivated, Espino will cede his spot on the 40-man roster to catcher Israel Pineda (oblique), who was activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Double-A Harrisburg.
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Nationals' Paolo Espino: Placed on 15-day IL
Rotowire
Washington placed Espino on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a flexor strain of his right ring finger, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Espino was charged with eight earned runs while recording only one out in his last appearance Tuesday against the Cubs as his season ERA ballooned all the way to 24.75. He'll likely head out on a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment before the Nationals consider him an option again for their major-league bullpen.
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Nationals' Paolo Espino: Nightmarish outing
Rotowire
Espino allowed eight runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out one over one-third of an inning Tuesday against the Cubs.
Espino only managed to retire one of the 10 batters he faced to start the eighth inning, surrendering seven singles and a pair of walks in what ended up being an eight-run inning for the Cubs. Though the outing was certainly an outlier, it was largely indicative of Espino's troubles in 2023, as the right-hander also allowed three runs across the 3.2 innings covering his other two MLB appearances this season while producing a 4.33 ERA at the Triple-A level.
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Nationals' Paolo Espino: Recalled from Triple-A
Rotowire
Espino was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Espino made one appearance for the Nationals last month but has spent the bulk of the year with Rochester, holding a 4.33 ERA in 13 starts. He'll give the bullpen some length over the weekend while Patrick Corbin is on paternity leave.
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Nationals' Paolo Espino: Sent back to Rochester
Rotowire
Washington optioned Espino to Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Amos Willingham has joined the Nationals' bullpen in a corresponding roster move. Espino made only one appearance during his brief stay in the bigs.
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Nationals' Paolo Espino: Recalled from Rochester
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Espino from Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
Espino hasn't been particularly special in Triple-A, accumulating a 4.56 ERA and 1.36 WHIP through 49.1 innings across 11 starts. Nonetheless, he'll head to Washington for his first MLB stint of the season after the Nationals designated Chad Kuhl for assignment Saturday. Espino is capable of starting for the Nationals if necessary, but he's been used more often as a multi-inning reliever throughout his career in the majors.
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Nationals' Paolo Espino: Bound for minors
Rotowire
Espino was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
Espino may not have been able to do anything to win a big-league spot this spring, as he's been sent down despite posting a 1.13 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in eight innings. Rather than remaining in the majors in a relief role, Espino will stay stretched out at the Triple-A level.
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Nationals' Paolo Espino: Having solid spring
Rotowire
Espino gave up one hit and struck out one over two scoreless innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins
The 36-year-old right-hander had posted good numbers this spring with a 1.13 ERA and 6:1 K:BB over eight frames, but he's worked mainly at the end of games and faced minor-league hitters -- he didn't enter Saturday's contest until the eighth inning. Despite the fact he's made 19 big-league starts in each of the last two seasons, Espino doesn't appear to be in consideration for the rotation opening created when Cade Cavalli (elbow) was lost to Tommy John surgery. He might begin the year in the bullpen if the Nationals feel they need an extra long-relief option, however.
