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Santiago Espinal has elected free agency after clearing waivers, officially ending his second stint on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster this season, per Dodger Blue. Espinal was designated for assignment on June 16 when the Dodgers activated Tommy Edman off the 60-day injured list. After clearing waivers, Espinal had the option to remain in the organization but chose to test the open market instead.

This is the second time Espinal has been DFA’d by the Dodgers in 2026, which tells you everything you need to know about where things stood. The 27-year-old infielder came to Los Angeles as a depth piece — a utility option who could handle second base, shortstop, and third base with solid enough glove work. He originally came up through the Blue Jays system and carved out a role in Toronto as a reliable defender with a compact swing, earning some everyday reps at the hot corner in 2022. But the bat never quite got to where it needed to be for a starting job, and his offensive numbers with the Dodgers this season didn’t do much to change that narrative. When roster crunches came, he was the odd man out — twice.

Espinal choosing free agency over a minor league assignment makes sense from his perspective. He’s at a point in his career where he needs at-bats and a clear path to a major league role, and the Dodgers simply couldn’t offer that. With Edman now back and capable of sliding around the infield (and the outfield, for that matter), plus Max Muncy leading NL All-Star voting at third base and Gavin Lux holding down second, there just wasn’t a lane for Espinal to claim regular playing time.

For the Dodgers, this is a clean transaction with minimal impact. Espinal was a low-cost insurance policy, and now that Edman is healthy, the need for that particular insurance has dried up. The 40-man roster spot opens up, which gives the front office a sliver of additional flexibility as we move deeper into June and the trade market starts to take shape. I wouldn’t be surprised if another team — maybe one thinner on the infield — picks Espinal up on a minor league deal. He can still play defense, and sometimes that’s enough to find a home.

The bigger story here remains Edman’s return and what it means for the Dodgers’ positional versatility. Espinal’s departure is really just the downstream consequence of that activation. We’ve got a full infield, a deep bench, and one fewer roster decision to worry about. On to the next one.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 19, 2026 4:49 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers