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Daniel Espino injury comeback could be best story of entire Cleveland Guardians season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There was a time when there seemed no doubt that Daniel Espino would develop into a high-caliber MLB pitcher.
And then there was a time when it seemed almost impossible that Espino would ever reach the major leagues at all.
Now, Espino has completed an incredible injury comeback and is arriving, finally, with the Cleveland Guardians.
MORE: A walk-off home run in an MLB debut, truly a dream come true
Espino was always an immense talent, but injuries kept him away from the game very often throughout most of his professional career.
After pitching 20 games in 2021 between Single-A and High-A, Espino's games by season looked like this:
- 2022: 4 appearances
- 2023: 0 appearances
- 2024: 0 appearances
- 2025: 1 appearance (and 4 in Arizona Fall League)
He's now working exclusively as a reliever after once being a starting pitcher prospect.
The Guardians have been careful with him at Triple-A Columbus, not wanting to use him on consecutive days.
Espino was the Guardians' first-round pick in 2019, 24th overall out of Georgia Premier Academy. Originally from Panama, he's still just 25 years old.
Injury luck has hampered his career, but he never stopped working.
No matter what Espino becomes in the major leagues, that's the inspiration of his story. This is a guy who could've given up. Many would've given up if they kept getting hit with season-ending injuries.
Espino, though, kept his eyes on the goal. He wanted to reach the major leagues. And finally, he's here.
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