Santiago Espinal Shines in Spring Training, Eyes Dodgers Roster Spot

Santiago Espinal has quickly made a name for himself during spring training, capturing the attention of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “It’d be hard to imagine him not being on our team,” Roberts remarked last week. “He’s having a great spring, man. He’s just a good player. It’s good, because I didn’t really know much about him, but seeing him every day, [he’s] fun to watch.”

Espinal, an All-Star with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, had a challenging stint with the Cincinnati Reds, where he struggled to make an impact, posting a lackluster .245/.294/.322 line over 232 games. This performance led to his removal from the Reds’ 40-man roster at the end of last season, resulting in a minor league assignment that he declined, making him a free agent. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers on February 16, which included an invitation to spring training.

Seizing this opportunity, Espinal has emerged as a standout performer. He currently leads the Dodgers with two home runs and nine RBIs, boasting an impressive slash line of .500/.519/.900. With utility players Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández starting the season on the injured list, Espinal’s versatility—having played all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots last season—could secure him a spot on the opening-day roster.

“I feel like the offense part of it, I’ve been working consistently with the hitting coaches, just looking at videos, looking at little details,” Espinal shared. “There’s either something going on with my lower body or something going on with my upper body. Where are my hands at, all this stuff, so that’s something that we literally every day just work on. So just make sure that my body feels great.”

One key adjustment that has yielded results for Espinal is his decision to get the bat off his shoulder and attack the count early. This more aggressive approach has paid dividends, as he explained, “Being more aggressive in my swing path. Make sure that it’s there. Make sure that it’s straight to the ball and not opening up and that stuff, but it’s a constant work that we’ve been doing every day and so far, it’s been great.”

His impressive performance, highlighted by a two-homer game against the Reds last week, has not gone unnoticed. “He’s fitting in seamlessly,” noted Roberts. “He’s a baseball player. It’s in his blood. You see it. He’s a smart player. He knows the type of player he needs to be to be a Major League player. He has fun playing, but there’s a focus when he plays. He plays with enthusiasm, which is tempered, which is great.”

Despite his brief time with the Dodgers, Espinal is eager to learn from the established stars in the lineup, including his fellow Dominican and former Blue Jays teammate. “When you see Mookie [Betts], when you see Freddie [Freeman], [Max] Muncy, I played with Teo, and he’s actually one of the best hitters in the game, you know you have it in the locker room,” he stated. “You also want to pick their brain. You also want to ask questions. And you also want to see how they work, how they go about their business. To me, I think that’s just the most important part of it, just to learn from them.”

As spring training progresses, Espinal’s strong showing seems to be paving the way for a spot on the 26-man roster. Reflecting on this potential achievement, he said, “It would be amazing, and I’ve just got to let my work talk for it. And so far, that’s what I’m doing and I’m just going to keep working for it.”

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.