Cleveland Guardians' top prospect and MLB's No. 16 overall prospect Daniel Espino is expected to be shut down from throwing for eight weeks, per Mandy Bell. Espino highlights an impressive Guardians' farm system. Cleveland's pitching depth would have made it difficult for him to earn a big league spot even if he was healthy, but this setback is still far from ideal.
Espino, 22, features a lively fastball and intriguing slider to go along with a curveball and change-up. His fastball tops out at over 100 MPH and many people around the organization felt that Espino may have debuted in 2022 had he not dealt with injuries. The same can be said for 2023, but he will be reevaluated in eight weeks as Bell reported.
Cleveland shocked the American League Central last year by upsetting the favored Chicago White Sox and winning the division despite having the youngest roster in the league. The majority of the Guardians' players are set to return in 2023 along with newcomers Josh Bell and Mike Zunino.
The Guardians' rotation is led by ace Shane Bieber, who has some of the best strikeout stuff in the league. Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill are other crucial pitchers in the rotation. Daniel Espino could still potentially join Cleveland's pitching staff later in the season depending on how long his shoulder injury lingers.
For now, Espino doesn't have a clear timetable for a return. The Guardians are hopeful that he will be trending in the right direction following his upcoming two month absence from throwing a baseball.
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