Espino looking to become key piece in Guardians' postseason bullpen

KANSAS CITY -- After Daniel Espino soaked in the atmosphere in the Guardians’ champagne-soaked clubhouse at Fenway Park on Thursday, everything began to set in for him.

For years, Espino dreamed of pitching for the Guardians in high-stakes games in September and October. For years, that had to take a backseat as he worked to merely get healthy following a pair of right shoulder surgeries.

The significance of Espino starting the Guardians’ 1-0 win in Boston on Thursday, which punched Cleveland’s ticket to the postseason, was almost hard for him to put into words.

“Three years ago, it was something that looked far away,” Espino said. “I'm just so grateful to be part of this organization, to be surrounded by unbelievable teammates and unbelievable leadership.”

Espino has been one of the most inspirational stories of this Guardians season, as he made his MLB debut after missing most of 2022-25 due to his injuries. But he has emerged as more than a feel-good player in this stretch run. The 25-year-old has impressed out of the bullpen, and he’s someone Cleveland could deploy in multiple ways as it pushes for glory this fall.

“He's a big-time pitcher,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “With what he's been through, we're going to continue to be cautious with him. We're going to continue to take care of him. But at the same time, it's go time. And he knows that and he wants that.”

Espino tossed a scoreless first inning on Thursday, as an opener for Joey Cantillo against the Red Sox. It marked his third time pitching in that capacity this month, and just as intriguing is what followed.

Espino tossed a scoreless sixth inning on Friday, in the Guardians’ 12-9 win over the Royals. It marked his first time he pitched on consecutive days in his professional career.

“It felt really good. As a reliever, that's the best way to test yourself,” Espino said. “I've been waiting for it the whole year, and I'm glad that it was today, the results and everything. Feeling the way I'm feeling, and just seeing how I'm bouncing back, I'm so happy for that, especially during this time of the season.”

Espino was exclusively a starting pitcher in the Minor Leagues before he first hurt his right shoulder in April 2022, which gave way to his streak of tough injury luck. The Guardians have used him exclusively out of the bullpen in the Majors and Minors this season, and they’ve been mindful of when and how often he has pitched.

• Postseason FAQ: What's next for the Guardians?

Espino acknowledged he wouldn't have been able to pitch on back-to-back days earlier this season. Pitching in relief alone was foreign to him, as was the physical grind of pitching on consecutive days. He had a turning point in the middle of the season.

Espino tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings vs. the White Sox on July 2. The Guardians optioned him to Triple-A Columbus on July 3, and he took the mound two days later.

“This whole year, I've been feeling really good the day after, and that kind of motivated me personally,” Espino said. “Like, ‘OK, I can do this.’ In the end, it’s just a mental battle.”

Espino’s workload against the Red Sox (17 pitches) gave the Guardians confidence he could handle pitching again on Friday. Against the Royals, he needed just 13 pitches to retire Kyle Isbel (popout), Carter Jensen (flyout) and Bobby Witt Jr. (strikeout).

Espino set down Witt looking with a 99.1 mph four-seam fastball.

Teams often lean upon their bullpen heavily to get through games in the postseason. The Guardians certainly have the past two years. They’ll need as many reliable guys to emerge as possible, and they’ll need them to be available to pitch as often as possible.

Cleveland could continue to roll with Espino pitching as an opener for Cantillo in the postseason. But if working on back-to-back days remains at least a periodic option, Vogt would have added flexibility with his bullpen in the postseason.

Espino was thrilled to be part of the Guardians’ celebration in Boston. He hopes to help usher in others in the weeks ahead.

“At the same time, we’ve got our eyes on the prize,” Espino said, “which is not only winning the division, but the dream of making it to the World Series, winning the World Series. So it's a long way. We just gotta take it day by day, lean on each other, and really attack the day.”