Spring surprise Espinal slugging his way toward likely roster spot 

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- It was his versatility that drew the Dodgers to Santiago Espinal more than his bat, but they'll gladly welcome any pop he can provide.

Espinal clubbed a pair of homers and drove in six runs on a balmy Thursday afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark, where the ball was practically flying out of the yard in the Dodgers' 14-13 loss to the Reds. Perhaps the conditions were conducive to Espinal's power show, or maybe he was energized by some promising news from manager Dave Roberts.

"It’d be hard to imagine him not being on the team," Roberts said of Espinal, who signed a Minor League deal with L.A. and is in camp as a non-roster invitee. The Dodgers have one open spot on their 40-man roster after outrighting Jack Suwinski earlier this week.

"It would be amazing," Espinal said. "I've just got to let my work talk for it. So far, that's what I'm doing, and I'm just going to keep working for it, but I'm not worrying about that."

It may seem early for Roberts to show his hand with more than two weeks of spring games remaining, but Espinal has impressed on both sides of the ball early on. Through Thursday, he's hit 10-for-16 (.625), not including his 2-for-3 showing against Team Mexico in a pre-World Baseball Classic exhibition on Wednesday. Espinal has also flashed some defensive versatility, drawing starts at first, second and third base.

Espinal's ability to play all around the diamond could be one of his most valuable qualities, one that the Dodgers currently lack on their projected Opening Day roster with utility players Tommy Edman (right ankle surgery) and Kiké Hernández (left elbow surgery) due to begin the season on the injured list. Like them, Espinal can give L.A. some fluidity in its defensive alignment by playing both the infield and outfield, where he's made 23 appearances in his career.

"I can trust him essentially anywhere on the diamond," Roberts said. "[Outfield] corners, second, third, and I think even in a pinch, he can play short. … And also a bat off the bench. If we need a right-handed bat, he’s going to put the ball in play and take a professional at-bat.”

Espinal, 31, is three years removed from his lone All-Star season in 2022 with Toronto. He slashed .267/.322/.370 in 135 games, driving in 51 runs and scoring another 51. He has not matched that level of production since.

From 2023-25, Espinal combined for a 71 OPS+, indicating he performed 29% worse than league average as a hitter in that span. His defense also took somewhat of a step back, but he feels good about his glove. It's his bat that he's been looking to get back on track this spring.

During his short time in the Dodgers' organization, Espinal has poured his efforts into working on his swing. He has been trying to be more aggressive while maintaining a bat path that's direct to the ball, and that has led to favorable results in a small sample.

Aside from working with the hitting coaches, Espinal has valued having so many veteran voices in the clubhouse. He's enjoyed being able to learn from hitters such as Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, and he's also reunited with former Blue Jays teammate Teoscar Hernández. From Roberts' perspective, Espinal has fit in "seamlessly" since signing with the organization at the beginning of Spring Training.

"He is a baseball player," Roberts said. "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."

Espinal is taking things one day at a time this spring, focused more on getting himself ready for the season than what his role with the Dodgers could look like. With his chance to be part of this year's three-peat bid riding on how he finishes out Cactus League play, Espinal is working toward an individual goal that would help advance the team's collective aim.

"Be better than last season. Way better than last season," Espinal said. "They already have a family here, and the question that I asked myself: 'How can I add to this team, to a back-to-back championship, as a baseball player?' That's something that I've been working on every day, and something that I will keep working on 'til the end of the season."