Daniel Espino Injury News & Updates

The Guardians selected Espino (shoulder) to their 40-man roster Tuesday.

Espino missed all of 2023 due to a shoulder issue which eventually led to anterior capsule repair surgery, but he ranked as one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball before that injury arose. The 22-year-old right-hander appears on track to return live games around the middle of the 2024 campaign.

Espino underwent a right shoulder anterior capsule repair surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles and is expected to remain out of game action for 12-to-14 months, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

The surgery was performed by renowned shoulder and elbow specialist Dr. Neal ElAttrache. It's another significant setback for Espino, a right-hander who has showcased some of the best stuff among pitching prospects in baseball when healthy, but he's been able to accumulate only 18.1 innings since the start of the 2022 season. Assuming the 12-to-14-month recovery timeline holds, Espino will be out of commission until the summer of 2024.

Espino (shoulder) has been shut down from throwing and is planning to visit with a doctor after suffering recent setbacks, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Espino was placed on the 60-day injured list before the season due to a subscapularis strain and anterior capsule tear in his right shoulder. The right-hander has looked like one of the best pitching prospects in baseball when on the mound, but has only been able to accumulate 18.1 innings since the start of the 2022 season. The hope was for Espino to be able to return to the mound in the summer months, but that's obviously very much in doubt at this point.

Espino (shoulder) is on track to join Double-A Akron's rotation by June or July, manager Rouglas Odor told Brad Bournival of the Akron Beacon Journal on Thursday.

Espino is on the 60-day injured list with a subscapularis strain and anterior capsule tear in his right shoulder, although Odor indicated the move was precautionary. "If everything goes well, he'll probably be back here in June or July," Odor said. "When we broke camp, he was already throwing and playing catch, which was a huge sign. I was happy to hear that." Espino has some of the best stuff of any pitching prospect in baseball but has had a terrible time staying healthy, having not made a start since April of 2022.

Espino (shoulder) has advanced in his throwing program and could be ready for game action as early as May, according to Guardians Prospective.

The flame-throwing righty has been throwing weighted plyo balls in Arizona. There was a report Feb. 20 that Espino wouldn't throw for eight weeks, but that may have been in reference to him getting back on a mound, which he has yet to do. Regardless, it's encouraging that this may not be a second lost season in a row for the talented 22-year-old.

Espino (shoulder) has yet to throw from a mound and is expected be down from throwing for eight weeks, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Espino was diagnosed with both a strain and a muscle tear in his right shoulder in January and he will now be forced to miss the entirety of spring training and the start of the 2023 campaign. The pitcher is one of the Guardians' top prospects and will look to get up to speed as quickly as possible once healthy. That being said, it seems unlikely that Espino will have much of a role, if any, in the big leagues this season.

Espino, who was originally shut down in May with patellar tendinitis, ended up missing the rest of the season with a sore right shoulder, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

It was generally accepted that some other injury must have popped up to keep Espino from making any starts in 2022 beyond April. There's no doubting Espino's stuff, but he now has a lot of developmental time to make up and he needs to build back up his innings after throwing just 18.1 innings in four April starts and failing to make it back in time for fall or winter ball.

Espino (knee) has resumed throwing.

It's unclear when Espino initially began throwing, but the Guardians have no intent to rush the top prospect back. He posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 35:4 K:BB across 18.1 innings prior to landing on the injured list in early May. In addition to the knee injury, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports Espino experienced right shoulder pain during his absence. The 21-year-old is likely weeks away from a return at best as the organization exercises caution.

Double-A Akron placed Espino (knee) on its 7-day injured list Wednesday.

Espino has been managing patellar tendinitis in his right knee since exiting his fourth start of the season Friday, so he'll be given at least a week off to recover from the injury. One of the top arms in the Guardians' farm system, Espino has submitted a 2.45 ERA and 0.72 WHIP while striking out 35 over 18.1 innings this season.

Espino was removed from Friday's start at Double-A Akron due to patella tendinitis, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Espino apparently felt something in his knee during his last start, and he received treatment ahead of Friday's outing. However, he exited Friday's matchup after he aggravated the issue while covering first base. Prior to the right-hander's departure, he allowed a run on three hits and a walk while striking out five in 4.2 innings. Espino drew attention in spring training and has posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 35:4 K:BB in 18.1 innings over four starts in Akron to begin the season. It's not yet clear whether his injury will force him to miss additional time.

Espino has impressed this spring despite not pitching in any major-league games, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports.

Actually, Passan characterized scouts' take on Espino's recent start against Reds minor leaguers as a "religious experience." His fastball exceeded 100 mph, he showed off a hard slider and a 12-to-6 curveball, and apparently his changeup is coming along as well. Still just 21 years old, Espino hasn't yet pitched above High-A -- where he recorded an insane 16.2 K/9 across 10 starts last season -- but he's got some of the best stuff in the minor leagues. There's a chance we could see him in the majors at some point this year, but it's more likely that the Guardians will keep him in the minors to refine his offspeed offerings. Once the likes of Grayson Rodriguez and George Kirby graduate this year, Espino will quickly enter the conversation for the best pitching prospect in baseball.

Espino has a 1-5 record, 4.64 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 33 innings since being promoted to High-A Lake County, but he also has a 63:13 K:BB in that span.

The good news is that thanks to his elite bat-missing ability, Espino's FIP is 3.52 and his xFIP is an even more impressive 2.41; the bad news is that he's been touched for six homers in his seven High-A starts and hasn't finished six innings once this season. That includes his 10 starts at Low-A Lynchburg, where Espino posted a 3.38 ERA and 1.34 WHIP alongside a 64:23 K:BB in 42.2 innings. Espino's calling card is his high-end fastball velocity, as he's touched 100 mph, but scouts are also bullish on his slider, curveball and changeup. That said, his control remains a work in progress. Espino is a high-variance prospect who has the stuff to be an ace starter but may not have the durability. Of course, even if he does eventually end up in the bullpen, he'd be an elite relief arm.