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CLEVELAND — Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee remembers watching Daniel Espino throw a baseball four years ago in Goodyear, Arizona.
Bibee was amazed.
“I got drafted in [20]21 and I remember in [20]22 spring training. I mean, you hear all these stories about him, and I saw him in spring training in '22 and I was like, 'This is the best pitcher I've ever seen,'" Bibee said June 12 of Espino, who was promoted to the Guardians from Triple-A Columbus.
"I still feel that way, honestly. It's like the most electric stuff I've ever seen, and for how much he's gone through it's honestly like a miracle that he was able to do that. But that just kind of attests to how hard of a worker he is and how good of a teammate and just all of it. I've never seen so many people so excited to see a person debut in a locker room, at least in my four years.
"So, it's really awesome to have him here. ... It's freaking awesome. He's, like, one of the best people ever."
Espino's journey to a Major League Baseball roster includes an assortment of setbacks. He made four minor league starts in April 2022 and then missed the rest of that season because of right shoulder and right knee injuries. He underwent two shoulder surgeries, in 2023 and 2024, that sidelined him for those entire seasons.
And, between those procedures, Espino's father, Danilo, passed away in November 2023 after battling prostate cancer.
“It's a great story," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said of Espino before Friday's game. "It's one of perseverance and hard work and patience. The amount of patience that it requires to be on the IL [injured list] for 15 days, let alone, what? Almost three years?
"So, he's been through a lot and he's worked his backside off to get back and be healthy. Our medical staff did a tremendous job with his rehab, his rehabs. And I think it's just a really cool day for all of us that we get to watch Daniel throw at some point this weekend.”
Espino, 25, was a spectator in the bullpen Friday watching the Guardians' 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. He did not enter the game as Bibee pitched into the eighth before giving way to Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith, who each worked a scoreless inning.
“I'm super excited,” Smith said. “He's such a great guy. Getting to know him has been such a blessing over multiple spring trainings and overlapping with him a little bit in the minor leagues, so I'm excited to continue to get to know him and to see him get out there and pitch.”
Cleveland selected Espino with the 24th pick in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Georgia Premier Academy. A native of Panama City, Panama, Espino was throwing fastballs 103 mph during his minor league days with the Lake County Captains, Lynchburg Hillcats and Akron RubberDucks before being injured.
“In 2019 I was able to be in this stadium," Espino said before Friday's game. "I think it was pre-draft and I was playing catch. I was playing long toss, and today when I was playing catch before the game, it just kind of like brought me that feeling that I've been here before.”
Espino, a right-hander, was averaging 97.9 mph on his fastballs this season with the Columbus Clippers, with a max fastball at 100.7 mph.
“Just seeing him today, walking in, just the smile ear to ear," Vogt said. "This kid's been through everything you can think of and then some, and to remain an unbelievable teammate, unbelievable human through that process, to work his way back, every one of us is really excited for Daniel and his family.”
Espino was asked what his reaction was to being called up to the Guardians, and with a smile on his face he said: “Crying. I was crying a lot. It's been emotional days.”
“I got told on Wednesday after the game [with the Columbus Clippers] and from there just talking to family, they're all here,” Espino said. “So, really excited, really emotional. The sense of gratitude that I have, just I can't even describe it. To me it just feels like a team win.
"Obviously, it's the first step of making it to ‘The Show’ and being here now is kind of like a new chapter, and whatever's thrown at me, I'm ready to attack it and give my best for this team and for this group of guys.”
Espino said his mother, grandmother, girlfriend and two brothers are in Cleveland this weekend.
“The way he's thought of and spoke of in this organization is one of the best pitchers that we've had in the last handful of years," Vogt said. "I think I saw him, he was playing catch coming back from the first one and reinjured it. That's my first spring training here [in 2024]. So, I've seen him go through a lot, had some really not fun conversations with him, but we got to have a fun one and it's going to be really cool to see him pitch.
"... For anyone, whatever you do for a living, if you can't do that for three years, it's really difficult. It's a really good story. This is a great human being. This is such a good kid, and it's really exciting.”
Espino said a major league call-up felt possible this season once he “started to throw a ball.”
“It hasn't sunk in,” Espino said. “I think that to me all year, it's been just taking it day-by-day and going through rehab and going through the fall league and everything. But, obviously, there was in my head, ‘OK, I want to be in ‘The Show.’ I want to make it to the big leagues and work towards that.’ I'm speechless.”
Espino pitched 18⅔ innings in Columbus this season. He struck out 29, walked 15 and allowed 17 hits and 11 earned runs.
“I spent all my minor league career with him,” said Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who hit an RBI triple and made another great play defensively Friday. “I knew him when he was injured. I was there in the game. I saw him crying, and now seeing him on the big league roster, for me, it’s great. He's a guy who put in all this work to be here. Bro, he's amazing.”
“Whenever I had talked to him, he was a great person,” said Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who had two singles and an RBI Friday. "Very positive, very bright, outgoing. Those are the kind of people that you want to see on your team and be your teammates. I'm going to be excited to get to know him a little more, but just knowing him as a person I think he’s going to be really successful.”
Espino said during his different setbacks and adversity he dealt with, he learned how resilient he could be. He leaned on his family for support as he rehabbed his injuries.
“I'm surrounded by really good people and I couldn't be here without everybody talking about staff down in Goodyear, clubbies, the guys in the kitchen, the medical group, the pitching coaches that have helped me through all this journey," Espino said. "Everybody kind of put the little bit of salt into the seasoning pretty much, and I'm just a product of that.
“I was thinking about this this morning, how grateful I am to have those people around me. That it makes this moment, just being here, makes it more special because it not only took me ... but like a lot of guys to get me here, and I'm really proud of that and I'm really grateful for that.”
Espino said he is appreciative of how the Guardians front office believed in him, were patient through his injuries and had “resilience that this day was going to come.”
“Everybody’s pumped," Espino said. "… Seeing the field and seeing the stadium is surreal.”
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Daniel Espino receives call-up to Guardians after 2 shoulder surgeries
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Bibee was amazed.
“I got drafted in [20]21 and I remember in [20]22 spring training. I mean, you hear all these stories about him, and I saw him in spring training in '22 and I was like, 'This is the best pitcher I've ever seen,'" Bibee said June 12 of Espino, who was promoted to the Guardians from Triple-A Columbus.
"I still feel that way, honestly. It's like the most electric stuff I've ever seen, and for how much he's gone through it's honestly like a miracle that he was able to do that. But that just kind of attests to how hard of a worker he is and how good of a teammate and just all of it. I've never seen so many people so excited to see a person debut in a locker room, at least in my four years.
"So, it's really awesome to have him here. ... It's freaking awesome. He's, like, one of the best people ever."
Espino's journey to a Major League Baseball roster includes an assortment of setbacks. He made four minor league starts in April 2022 and then missed the rest of that season because of right shoulder and right knee injuries. He underwent two shoulder surgeries, in 2023 and 2024, that sidelined him for those entire seasons.
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And, between those procedures, Espino's father, Danilo, passed away in November 2023 after battling prostate cancer.
“It's a great story," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said of Espino before Friday's game. "It's one of perseverance and hard work and patience. The amount of patience that it requires to be on the IL [injured list] for 15 days, let alone, what? Almost three years?
"So, he's been through a lot and he's worked his backside off to get back and be healthy. Our medical staff did a tremendous job with his rehab, his rehabs. And I think it's just a really cool day for all of us that we get to watch Daniel throw at some point this weekend.”
Espino, 25, was a spectator in the bullpen Friday watching the Guardians' 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field. He did not enter the game as Bibee pitched into the eighth before giving way to Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith, who each worked a scoreless inning.
“I'm super excited,” Smith said. “He's such a great guy. Getting to know him has been such a blessing over multiple spring trainings and overlapping with him a little bit in the minor leagues, so I'm excited to continue to get to know him and to see him get out there and pitch.”
Cleveland selected Espino with the 24th pick in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Georgia Premier Academy. A native of Panama City, Panama, Espino was throwing fastballs 103 mph during his minor league days with the Lake County Captains, Lynchburg Hillcats and Akron RubberDucks before being injured.
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“In 2019 I was able to be in this stadium," Espino said before Friday's game. "I think it was pre-draft and I was playing catch. I was playing long toss, and today when I was playing catch before the game, it just kind of like brought me that feeling that I've been here before.”
Espino, a right-hander, was averaging 97.9 mph on his fastballs this season with the Columbus Clippers, with a max fastball at 100.7 mph.
“Just seeing him today, walking in, just the smile ear to ear," Vogt said. "This kid's been through everything you can think of and then some, and to remain an unbelievable teammate, unbelievable human through that process, to work his way back, every one of us is really excited for Daniel and his family.”
Espino was asked what his reaction was to being called up to the Guardians, and with a smile on his face he said: “Crying. I was crying a lot. It's been emotional days.”
“I got told on Wednesday after the game [with the Columbus Clippers] and from there just talking to family, they're all here,” Espino said. “So, really excited, really emotional. The sense of gratitude that I have, just I can't even describe it. To me it just feels like a team win.
You must be registered for see images
"Obviously, it's the first step of making it to ‘The Show’ and being here now is kind of like a new chapter, and whatever's thrown at me, I'm ready to attack it and give my best for this team and for this group of guys.”
Espino said his mother, grandmother, girlfriend and two brothers are in Cleveland this weekend.
“The way he's thought of and spoke of in this organization is one of the best pitchers that we've had in the last handful of years," Vogt said. "I think I saw him, he was playing catch coming back from the first one and reinjured it. That's my first spring training here [in 2024]. So, I've seen him go through a lot, had some really not fun conversations with him, but we got to have a fun one and it's going to be really cool to see him pitch.
"... For anyone, whatever you do for a living, if you can't do that for three years, it's really difficult. It's a really good story. This is a great human being. This is such a good kid, and it's really exciting.”
Espino said a major league call-up felt possible this season once he “started to throw a ball.”
“It hasn't sunk in,” Espino said. “I think that to me all year, it's been just taking it day-by-day and going through rehab and going through the fall league and everything. But, obviously, there was in my head, ‘OK, I want to be in ‘The Show.’ I want to make it to the big leagues and work towards that.’ I'm speechless.”
Espino pitched 18⅔ innings in Columbus this season. He struck out 29, walked 15 and allowed 17 hits and 11 earned runs.
You must be registered for see images
“I spent all my minor league career with him,” said Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who hit an RBI triple and made another great play defensively Friday. “I knew him when he was injured. I was there in the game. I saw him crying, and now seeing him on the big league roster, for me, it’s great. He's a guy who put in all this work to be here. Bro, he's amazing.”
“Whenever I had talked to him, he was a great person,” said Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan, who had two singles and an RBI Friday. "Very positive, very bright, outgoing. Those are the kind of people that you want to see on your team and be your teammates. I'm going to be excited to get to know him a little more, but just knowing him as a person I think he’s going to be really successful.”
Espino said during his different setbacks and adversity he dealt with, he learned how resilient he could be. He leaned on his family for support as he rehabbed his injuries.
“I'm surrounded by really good people and I couldn't be here without everybody talking about staff down in Goodyear, clubbies, the guys in the kitchen, the medical group, the pitching coaches that have helped me through all this journey," Espino said. "Everybody kind of put the little bit of salt into the seasoning pretty much, and I'm just a product of that.
“I was thinking about this this morning, how grateful I am to have those people around me. That it makes this moment, just being here, makes it more special because it not only took me ... but like a lot of guys to get me here, and I'm really proud of that and I'm really grateful for that.”
Espino said he is appreciative of how the Guardians front office believed in him, were patient through his injuries and had “resilience that this day was going to come.”
“Everybody’s pumped," Espino said. "… Seeing the field and seeing the stadium is surreal.”
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Daniel Espino receives call-up to Guardians after 2 shoulder surgeries
Continue reading...
