Cleveland Guardians pitcher Daniel Espino did something for the first time in over four years.
For as much excitement and joy there was around Daniel Espino when the Cleveland Guardians called him up at the beginning of June, there was some caution that came with the promotion, too.
Of course, Espino has the skill set to be one of the top arms in MLB, but his journey to The Show took so long due to injuries and the development time he missed. As a result, Espino transitioned from starter to reliever.
Pitching out of the bullpen is still new for Espino. He hadn’t even pitched more than one inning in the Minor Leagues, but all of that changed on Thursday evening against the Chicago White Sox.
Espino came on for Slade Cecconi at the top of the sixth inning after Cleveland’s starting pitcher allowed a two-run homer. Espino made quick work of the White Sox, striking out three of the four batters he faced.
Everyone assumed Espino’s night was over. However, it was the 24-year-old who emerged from the dugout and jogged toward the mound to start the seventh inning. He stayed on to get the first two outs before Stephen Vogt turned the ball over to Shawn Armstrong.
For the first time since April 29, 2022, when Espino was a starting pitcher at Double-A, he pitched multiple innings of work. It may seem like a small footnote in Cleveland’s victory, but it’s a massive step for Espino in his big-league career.
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 ImagesA multi-inning outing for Espino is actually something the team as been talking about, mainly because the Guardians have been looking for some depth out of the bullpen.
“It came up a couple days ago. We had a situation, one of the games where we might have needed some length from Daniel,” explained Cleveland’s skipper after the game.
“We had to kind of talk with the medical staff, talk with the pitching team, put our heads together on what are exactly his maximums, and, it's 35 pitches, and he threw his 35th pitch on that last out. Just like gutsy performance by him.”
Espino’s comeback story is an incredible one in itself, but what he showed Cleveland on Thursday is that he’s still plenty capable of making a huge impact on this Guardians team.
His first multi-inning outing is only the beginning.
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