Pretty much since the day he signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers, Santiago Espinal was talked about in camp as someone very much in the mix for making the opening day roster. On Wednesday, the Dodgers made it official, selecting the contract of the veteran infielder.
Espinal takes the 40-man-roster vacancy created when outfielder Jack Suwinski was sent outright to the minors on March 2.
Espinal signed with the Dodgers on February 16, the same day manager Dave Roberts confirmed the expected news that Tommy Edman would not be ready for opening day, still recovering from right ankle surgery in November. Edman’s absence opened up not only a potential roster spot but also playing time at second base, and Roberts mentioned Espinal as very much in the mix along with Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland, and veteran Miguel Rojas.
Two and a half weeks later, Roberts told reporters in Arizona, “It’s hard to imagine [Espinal] not being on the team.”
Espinal later that night hit two home runs, and has been getting fantastic results in spring training, with 16 hits in 39 at-bats, including four doubles, and five walks, hitting .410/.447/.667.
But his making the roster doesn’t feel like an overreaction to spring stats, but rather seeing proof of concept of someone who was signed for a specific role. After all, he was used all spring like a veteran getting ready for the season, not necessarily in a dogged fight for a job. He started all 16 of his games thus far, mostly at third base, with a little bit of second base, first base, designated hitter, and right field.
For his career Espinal has played mostly second and third base, with a smattering of corner outfield. A career .291/.344/.409 hitter with a 107 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers, Espinal figures to face a lot of southpaws, much like the perceived role intended for fellow right-handed-hitting infielder Andy Ibáñez, who signed a one-year deal in January but was designated for assignment a few weeks later before getting claimed by the A’s.
Now Espinal has a spot on the roster.
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