Top-Five Guardians Prospect Not Expected To Pitch In 2024
For nearly two years, Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Daniel Espino has been on a difficult journey due to injuries.
The last game he pitched in was with Double-A Akron on April 29, 2022, when he was shut down due to knee and shoulder soreness. He did not pitch for the remainder of the season, eventually undergoing right shoulder surgery in May of 2023 and not appearing in a game last year.
On Thursday, the Guardians shared some more unfortunate news about their fourth-ranked prospect and 100th-ranked MLB prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
The team said that Espino underwent another shoulder surgery yesterday to repair an injury to his right shoulder capsule and rotator cuff. Cleveland also explained that while his return date is not yet determined, it will very likely not be this season.
“Following yesterday’s surgery, Daniel is returning to Goodyear to complete his post-operative rehab. Although we do not yet have a specific timeframe for his return to game activity, Daniel is not expected to pitch during the 2024 season.”
Akron RubberDucks pitcher Daniel Espino warms up between innings against the Erie SeaWolves at UPMC Park in Erie on April 9, 2022.
© GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK
This news comes just over two months after it appeared that Espino was making progress in his recovery from his 2023 shoulder surgery. He was also added to the Guardians’ 40-man roster this past November.
Cleveland drafted the right-hander out of high school in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft. He eventually reached Double-A in 2022, when he went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA, 35 strikeouts, four walks, a .141 opposing batting average, and a 0.71 WHIP in four starts to begin the season. He was also averaging an impressive 17.18 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Guardians and their fans alike are hoping that Espino can recover from this latest injury setback and return to the mound as soon as possible.
