"The 31-year-old is hitting .412 with two homers and 13 RBI in 34 at-bats this Spring Training, and has impressed Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to the point where he became close to a roster lock. Espinal can play all over the field, giving the Dodgers a versatile player off the bench, and can put together a quality at-bat to give anyone a day off when needed."
"He had his best season in 2022 with the Blue Jays when he was named an All-Star and hit .267/.322/.370 with a 100 wRC+ and 2.4 WAR for the season. But outside of two years with Toronto, Espinal has been a below league-average hitter, slashing .261/.316/.349 with an 85 wRC+ for his career."
"Rather than competing for a starting job, Espinal knows his way to impact the Dodgers is going to mostly be in spot starts and off the bench. He has been focused on improving from his poor 2025 season and finding ways to contribute to the Dodgers in any way possible."
The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Santiago Espinal's contract, adding him to their 40-man roster following a strong Spring Training performance. Signed to a Minor League deal in February, the 31-year-old infielder was brought in to address the team's need for a right-handed infielder after losing Andy Ibáñez to the Athletics. Espinal has batted .412 with two home runs and 13 RBIs in 34 Spring Training at-bats, earning manager Dave Roberts' confidence as a roster lock. His versatility across multiple infield positions makes him valuable as a bench player. Espinal has six seasons of Major League experience, including four years with Toronto where he earned an All-Star selection in 2022, though his career batting average outside Toronto has been below league average.
#mlb-roster-moves #los-angeles-dodgers #spring-training-performance #utility-infielder #santiago-espinal
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