Santiago Espinal lost Dave Roberts' roster Monday, and the former Blue Jays infielder is suddenly back in transaction limbo.
The Dodgers designated Espinal for assignment after reinstating Kiké Hernández from the injured list, turning a spring roster surprise into a short stay.
That is the hard part of this move. Espinal had played his way onto Los Angeles' roster after signing a minor-league deal on February 21 and then tearing through camp.
He hit .378 with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs in 45 spring at-bats, good enough to force the Dodgers' hand while Hernández recovered from offseason elbow surgery.
Once Hernández got healthy, the space disappeared. That is often how these utility jobs go on a roster as deep as Los Angeles'.
Espinal never got much runway to fight it off, either. He appeared in 26 games and hit .220 with 1 home run and 4 RBIs over 41 at-bats.
For a player built on flexibility more than power, that kind of light offensive line usually leaves very little margin. Espinal did move around the infield, seeing time at first, second, and third, while bringing shortstop experience from earlier in his career.
Why this Santiago Espinal DFA still matters in Toronto
Blue Jays fans know this profile well. Toronto acquired Espinal from Boston in June 2018 in the Steve Pearce deal, then watched him grow into a useful everyday piece and an All-Star in 2022.
Over parts of 4 seasons with the Blue Jays, Espinal hit .273 with 11 home runs and 99 RBIs before Toronto traded him to Cincinnati for right-hander Chris McElvain on March 21, 2024.
He spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Reds, elected free agency last November, and then caught on with the Dodgers as a depth bet who briefly turned into a real roster answer.
Now the next step is the whole story. Los Angeles has 7 days to trade him or try to run him through waivers, and BlueJaysNation noted that infield-needy clubs could still see value in a relatively cheap utility option.
That part makes sense. Espinal is 31, he can handle multiple spots, and his career line still sits at .260 with 21 home runs and 164 RBIs.
So this is not the end of anything yet. But it is another reminder of how fast a player can go from spring success to roster casualty when the healthy bodies start coming back.
For Espinal, the Dodgers gave him an opening and then took it back once the roster tightened. Now he waits to see whether another club still sees the same utility value the Blue Jays once did.
Will Santiago Espinal land with another MLB team soon?
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