The Cleveland Guardians add Daniel Espino back to the MLB roster.
As the Cleveland Guardians have been searching for more consistent arms in the bullpen, there have been many questions among fans about why rookie reliever Daniel Espino hasn’t been recalled yet.
He was a clear candidate to be called up earlier this week with rosters expanding, but the organization passed over him for a veteran arm.
Well, on Friday, ahead of Cleveland’s second game of a doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers, the Guardians finally recalled Espino back up to the big-league level.
In order to make room on the big-league roster for Espino, the Guardians also optioned Logan Allen back to Triple-A.
The left-hander started the first game of the doubleheader and ended up throwing 62 pitches. Considering that Allen will likely be unavailable to throw for the next few days, Cleveland needs fresh pitchers now.
Jun 30, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Daniel Espino (41) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesEspino was in a similar position when the Guardians originally optioned him back to Triple-A at the beginning of July; now he’s back at the MLB level, where he’s had some success so far this season.
Even though Espino has limited appearances, there’s still so much potential in his arm if he can stay healthy.
The 25-year-old has appeared in six games and has a whiff rate of 43.4 percent and a strikeout rate of 44.4 percent, along with an average fastball velocity of 98.9 mph. Espino has also pitched incredibly well at Triple-A in 2026, too. He owns a 3.68 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP.
The right-hander is clearly talented enough to be pitching at the MLB level, but finding a spot for him has been an issue for the Guardians, considering he’s rarely thrown multiple innings in appearances as the organization continues to be cautious with Espino post-injury.
Considering Espino’s potential, at his best, he could end up being a key high-leverage arm for the Guardians over the final month of the season. At worst, he could be a pitcher the team turns to when they’re down, hopefully to prevent games from getting out of control.
The Espino transaction comes following a long day of roster moves for Cleveland. The Guardians also added prospect Austin Peterson to the bullpen, activated Slade Cecconi off the injured list, and designated Carlos Hernandez for assignment earlier in the day ahead of the game.
