Daniel Espino

Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Daniel Espino underwent surgery to repair shoulder capsule and rotator cuff injuries in his right shoulder.

Fantasy Impact

Espino underwent shoulder surgery last May and was scheduled to miss the next 12-14 months but, obviously, he will be out for the entire 2024 season following a second procedure. The club's No. 4 prospect, he last posted a 2.45 ERA across four appearances at Triple-A in 2022.

Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Daniel Espino will miss the next 12-14 months after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Fantasy Impact

One of the more highly-regarded pitching prospects in the game, Espino underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior capsule and will miss a big chunk of time moving forward. It's another blow for the 22-year-old who pitched just 18 1/3 innings last season due to shoulder and knee issues while working to a 2.45 ERA and monstrous 45.6% K-BB% across four starts.

Guardians top prospect Daniel Espino has been shut down from throwing for at least eight weeks due to a right shoulder strain.

Fantasy Impact

Espino, one of the top pitching prospects in the Guardians farm system, had yet to throw from the mound. This timetable likely pushes him out to at least May, meaning he might not make his MLB debut till the summer months in June or July. He probably won't be worth targeting in redraft leagues as a result, but should be a player to monitor on the waiver wire as we get closer to May or June.

Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Daniel Espino (knee, shoulder) resumed his throwing program on Sunday, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic. He hasn't pitched since late April due to right patellar tendinitis. To make matters worse, Espino has also experienced right shoulder discomfort since his last outing.

Fantasy Impact

Espino ranks first on MLB Pipeline's list of Cleveland prospects. The 21-year-old has thrown 18 1/3 innings this season, surrendering just five runs (four homers), nine hits, and four walks while racking up a whopping 35 strikeouts. Cleveland certainly won't rush his recovery, especially now that there's an arm injury involved.