Daniel Espino is seeing an increased workload for the Cleveland Guardians with the playoffs on the horizon.
Before the 2026 season began, Daniel Espino was just hoping that he could simply stay healthy after missing so much time of development due to a handful of injuries. This year would have been deemed a success if, at the very least, the 25-year-old made
Espino has done more than just pitch in a big-league game this year; he’s become an important member of the Cleveland Guardians' pitching staff over the final month of the season.
The more the Guardians have incorporated Espino into their pitching plan, the more he’s becoming a key piece for the team as they prepare for the playoffs.
Espino’s new role with the Guardians, if you want to call it that, has been as an opener for Joey Cantillo.
Espino has plenty of experience as a starter, as it was his primary position before the shoulder injuries, so he’s looked more than comfortable starting games. For the most part, Espino has looked sharp in this role, too.
In his three starts and four innings pitched as a starter, Espino has given up three runs (all on one three-run home run), allowed two hits, issued three walks, and struck out five batters.
Sep 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Daniel Espino (41) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn ImagesEspino’s stats are encouraging, and it’s hard to ignore the team's success when he opens. Joey Cantillo has clearly been more comfortable coming out of the bullpen, and the Guardians are 2-1 in those types of games, which includes their playoff-clinching win late last week.
The Guardians aren’t simply viewing Espino as an opener moving forward, though. They clearly still see him as someone who can come in and make an impact as a late-inning reliever, which is actually what transpired during Friday night’s win over the Kansas City Royals.
As Cleveland looked to maintain a two-run lead heading into the sixth inning, Espino took the mound and pitched a quick, clean one-two-three inning with one strikeout.
Espino’s increased workload has also brought with it a new milestone for the rookie pitcher. Friday and Saturday’s outings marked the first time in Espino’s professional career that he appeared in back-to-back games on consecutive days.
Espino said after Friday’s game that the impact he’s been able to have over the last month is something he’s looked forward to for years, and now that it’s here, he couldn’t be more grateful.
With Espino’s fastball velocity and elite swing-and-miss, he could be a weapon for Cleveland out of the bullpen, as an opener, or whatever role the team sees for him in the playoffs.
