Overview
- The Reno Aces announced Thursday that 31-year-old Santiago Espinal signed a minor-league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks and was assigned to Triple‑A Reno.
- Espinal played 36 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, hitting .268 with one home run, seven RBIs and a .651 OPS across 60 plate appearances.
- Earlier in 2026 he earned an Opening Day roster spot with the Dodgers after a strong spring, was released by Los Angeles in mid-June, then had a short Triple‑A stint with the Texas Rangers before his late-July release.
- Arizona added Espinal to shore up infield depth while Ketel Marte’s situation remains unresolved and Nolan Arenado has been playing through an upper-body issue.
- Espinal’s signing reflects the volatility of veteran utility players and offers him a chance to return to the majors if he hits well in Reno, drawing on his 2022 All-Star peak as evidence of his prior upside.