Daniel Espino’s Next Chapter With Cleveland Guardians Revealed

For the first time since 2022, Daniel Espino returned back to the mound in the 2025 campaign.

After years of battling injury, the 25-year-old prospect suited up for the Cleveland Guardians' Triple-A roster for just 0.2 innings of action. He looked rough, really rough, but struck out one batter. However, that was expected for a player who hadn't played in years.

Heading into the 2026 campaign, it's been understood by the Guardians' front office that Espino will be given opportunities to pitch a fair amount and get his feet back underneath himself.

He's expected to pitch during spring training as well.

"Daniel [Espino] is a healthy pitcher," manager Stephen Vogt said in a recent press conference. "We are going to be very deliberate with how we build him up. Our medical team and pitching team are always talking with Daniel.

"We are going to work with him to see how he's feeling and bouncing back. Our intention is for Daniel to be a healthy pitcher all year long"

"Daniel is a healthy pitcher."#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on the plan to ramp up Daniel Espino's work. Says that he has another live BP coming up. #GuardsBall @WEWS pic.twitter.com/RKxFGln7tP
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) February 23, 2026

These comments from Vogt come after an offseason where Espino showed major signs of growth. Not only was he pitching regularly, but he also started to touch the high 90s again.

As long as he gets some sort of time on the mound in spring training, his path ahead will start to return to normalcy. He will likely start the 2026 campaign in Triple-A, before getting a promotion to the big leagues if the situation makes sense.

Espino's Path Forward

In his singular game of Triple-A ball in 2025, he threw 15 strikes through 21 pitches. That's not a bad clip, however, many of them were connected on as he allowed three hits. At the time, though, his goal was to just pitch in an in-game setting, letting him get warmed back up and comfortable in his abilities.

“It was so good, it just felt really good,” said Espino after that game in mid-September. “I felt really confident, and I think that I attacked the zone a lot. I'm really proud of that.”

Some pitchers might come back and be protective, but Espino knew he had to just jump headfirst into the game. He wasn't willing to slow down and start throwing around the zone; he just started throwing right down it.

In Fall League ball, he kept himself confident, throwing in 4.2 innings with a zero ERA. He allowed four hits and walked three batters, but struckout seven. His WHIP came in at 1.500.

These experiences all allow the coaching staff and front office to see where Espino is, and more specifically, how far he has to go until he's able to become a major leaguer.

With him being described as a "healthy pitcher", there should be no reason why he doesn't become a reliable arm in 2026. Starting in the minors will allow him to continue trending the right direction, with both his control and velocity, until everyone involved thinks he is comfortable enough for a big-league appearance.

But for now, it's one step at a time for Espino, with spring training taking full priority.

The Guardians will hopefully get Espino on the mound in the coming days, as they prepare for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, Feb. 23, the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and the Chicago Cubs on Friday, Feb. 25.