Espino (shoulder) could be ready for game action as early as May, according to Guardians Prospective.
The flame-throwing righty has been throwing weighted plyo balls in Arizona. There was a report Feb. 20 that Espino wouldn't throw for eight weeks, but that may have been in reference to him getting back on a mound, which he has yet to do. Regardless, it's encouraging that this may not be a second lost season in a row for the talented 22-year-old.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: No throwing for eight weeks
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Espino has yet to throw from a mound during spring training and is expected be down from throwing for eight weeks after suffering a right shoulder strain, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
According to Bell, Espino also suffered an additional muscle tear in the shoulder, and he'll now be forced to miss the entirety of spring training and the start of the 2023 minor-league season as a result. Though he's regarded as one of the Guardians' top pitching prospects, the fact that Espino is dealing with more shoulder trouble after missing considerable time due to a related issue in 2022 is a discouraging sign for his long-term durability. Whenever he's back to full strength, Espino will likely settle into a spot in the rotation at Double-A Akron.
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Guardians' Daniel Espino: Shoulder to blame for missed time
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Espino, who was originally shut down in May with patellar tendinitis, ended up missing the rest of the season with a sore right shoulder, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
It was generally accepted that some other non-knee injury must have popped up to keep Espino from making any starts in 2022 beyond April. There's no doubting Espino's stuff, but he now has a lot of developmental time to make up and he needs to build back up his workload after throwing just 18.1 innings in four April starts at Double-A and failing to make it back in time for fall or winter ball. Given Cleveland's impressive rotation depth, Espino may not make his MLB debut until 2024.
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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: Goes on MiLB IL
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Double-A Akron placed Espino (knee) on its 7-day injured list Wednesday.
Espino has been managing patellar tendinitis in his right knee since exiting his fourth start of the season Friday, so he'll be given at least a week off to recover from the injury. One of the top arms in the Guardians' farm system, Espino has submitted a 2.45 ERA and 0.72 WHIP while striking out 35 over 18.1 innings this season.
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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
Rotowire
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.
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Indians' Daniel Espino: Invited to summer camp
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Espino will be a part of the Indians' 60-man player pool this season.
Espino joins a star-studded group of prospects who will be training at an alternate training site while the big leaguers train at Progressive Field. This will allow him to get as much high-level development as possible this season, but he is unlikely to pitch in big-league games, as he has never pitched above short-season ball.
