Dodgers Select Contract of Santiago Espinal, Makes 40-Man Roster
The Dodgers continue to polish off the final 40-man roster ahead of the 2026 season opener.
Spring Training is the time of year when the most unpredictable scenarios and players emerge from the bowels. The Los Angeles Dodgers had a case of that this spring with 31-year-old utility man Santiago Espinal. Espinal signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers back on February 17 and was later assigned to spring camp on February 21.
Going into camp, the Dodgers were mainly focusing on their infielding options. With Tommy Edman still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, and Hyeseong Kim battling alongside Alex Freeland for the everyday second base job. Espinal exploded onto the scene and proved to be the answer the Dodgers were looking for.
In turn, after the Dodgers 5'-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday, the Dodgers selected his contract, and he is now part of the 40-man roster for Opening Day. In 15 Cactus League games and 36 at-bats, he posted a . 389/.
432/. 639 slash line. He notched 14 hits, drove in 13 RBI, and cranked two home runs in the process.