Dodgers just confirmed what the Reds already knew about Santiago Espinal

Santiago Espinal has already been designated for assignment once this season, but it appears that the Los Angeles Dodgers have finally come to the same realization the Cincinnati Reds did last year; Espinal is no longer a Major League-caliber player.

According to MLB.com beat writer Sonja Chen, the Dodgers plan to DFA Espinal in order to clear a spot for Tommy Edman on the 40-man roster. Edman, the former St. Louis Cardinals utility player, has been sidelined since the beginning of the 2026 season, but will be activated from the 60-day injured list before LA's game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts told Chen, "The fit right now with our ball club, it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

Dodgers finally discovered the truth about Santiago Espinal Reds fans already knew

Espinal, of course, suited up for the Reds the past two seasons. He was an emergency addition to Cincinnati's Opening Day roster in 2024 after Matt McLain suffered a shoulder injury during spring training and was placed on the 60-day IL.

Espinal had been squeezed out of the Toronto Blue Jays starting lineup that year, and in their desperation, the Reds stuck a last-minute trade before the season began. Cincinnati shipped minor-league pitching prospect Chris McElvain to Toronto as collateral.

The former All-Star filled in admirably for McLain in 2024. He played well enough to earn a $2 million payday during the offseason, and was part of the Reds Opening Day roster in 2025.

But his struggles last season were evident to everyone — except Reds manager Terry Francona — who continued to insert him into the lineup with regularity. It wasn't until Sal Stewart was called up to the big leagues in last September that Espinal earned a permanent spot on the bench.

The Dodgers took a flier on Espinal this past offseason, and his performance during spring training earned him a spot on LA's roster to open the season. But once the games began to count, the version of Espinal that Reds fans know all too well began showed up in the box score.

In 36 games for the Dodgers this season, Espinal hit .268/.278/.375 with one home run and a 77 wRC+. Based on the aforementioned comments from Roberts, it would seem that he won't get a third chance to stick around.

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