Daniel Richard Espinosa (born April 25, 1987) is an American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...

, and

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

Amateur career

Espinosa attended Mater Dei High School in

Santa Ana, California Santa Ana (Spanish language, Spanish for ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, California, United States. Located in the Greater Los Angeles region of Southern California, the city's population was 310,227 at the 2020 census. As ...

. He then enrolled at

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...

, to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...

for the Long Beach State Dirtbags. He played

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...

and batted .303 with 11

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s and 98

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

in his three-year career. As a freshman, he was the

Big West Conference The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...

Freshman of the Year. After the 2006 season, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the Chatham A's of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

Professional career

Washington Nationals

Minor leagues

The

selected Espinosa in the third round, with the 87th overall pick, of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. Espinosa made his professional debut with the

Vermont Lake Monsters The Vermont Lake Monsters are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Burlington, Vermont, United States, who were founded in 1994 as the Vermont Expos. They were members of Minor League Baseball, in the New York–Penn League (NYPL), ...

of the Low–A

New York-Penn League New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...

, where he batted .328. The following year he was promoted to the

Potomac Nationals The Potomac Nationals were a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They were situated in Woodbridge, Virginia, and played their home games at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium. After the 2019 season, the team relocated to ...

of the High–A

Carolina League The Carolina League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States since 1945. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 unti ...

, and hit .264 with a .375

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...

while hitting 18 home runs with 72 runs batted in and 29 steals, and was a High-A and Carolina League All Star. He began 2010 with the

Harrisburg Senators The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team who play in the Eastern League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The team is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at FNB Field on Cit ...

of the Double–A Eastern League, hitting .262 with 18 home runs, before being promoted to the

Syracuse Chiefs Syracuse most commonly refers to: * Syracuse, Sicily, Italy; in the province of Syracuse * Syracuse, New York, USA; in the Syracuse metropolitan area Syracuse may also refer to: Places * Syracuse railway station (disambiguation) Italy * Provi ...

of the Triple–A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

. With Syracuse, he hit .295 with four home runs and was just the second player in all of organized baseball to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in 2010. At Syracuse, Espinosa, who had played shortstop for his college and minor league career, was shifted to second base, since Ian Desmond was already playing shortstop for the Nationals.

Major leagues

When the MLB rosters expanded on September 1, 2010, Espinosa was called up to the major leagues for the first time. He appeared in his first MLB game that night. In his first MLB at bat, he hit a ground ball to second base that took an odd hop and went into right field, allowing Espinosa to turn it into a double when he saw that the right fielder had not charged the ball. On September 6, 2010, against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

, in his first MLB game at

Nationals Park Nationals Park is a baseball stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.), Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. Since its completion in 2008, it wa ...

, Espinosa went 4-for-5 with two home runs (the second and third of his career) including a grand slam and six runs batted in. Espinosa played in the Puerto Rican winter league after the 2010 season. Danny Espinosa 2011

Espinosa had a productive 2011 season, hitting 21 home runs and stealing 17 bases. He finished 6th in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting. He was also hit by a pitch 19 times, tied for first with Justin Upton. Espinosa began the 2012 season in an extended slump, hitting .205 in April with 2 runs batted in. He rebounded after the All-Star break, hitting .300 in July. Espinosa finished the 2012 season leading the National league in strikeouts with 189. He hit 17 home runs while also stealing 20 bases. Espinosa began the 2013 season with another slump, hitting .171 through mid-May. He was consequently sent down to Triple–A Syracuse and batted .216 with 2 home runs, 22 runs batted in, and 6 stolen bases over 75 games for the rest of his season in the minors. In 44 games for the Nationals in 2013, Espinosa batted .158/.193/.272 with three home runs and 12 RBI.Danny Espinosa Stats , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref> The following two seasons, Espinosa was a utility player for the Nationals, playing all the infield positions and left field. In 2016, he was named the starting shortstop for the Nationals and played the whole season only at shortstop. He set career highs in home runs with 24 and runs batted in with 72, and was third in the majors in hit by pitches with 20. He was named National League Player of the Week in early July for a five-homer, 17-RBI performance. He finished the season with a career-high 24 home runs and 72 RBI, but his .209 batting average was the lowest of all qualified major league batters.

Los Angeles Angels

After the 2016 season, the Nationals acquired outfielder Adam Eaton, with the intent of moving

Trea Turner Trea Vance Turner (born June 30, 1993) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. At the internation ...

to shortstop. The Nationals then traded Espinosa to the

for pitchers Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin on December 10, 2016. Espinosa's first hit as an Angel was a big three-run home run in the ninth inning that put Los Angeles ahead, 7–6, in his second game with the team. The Angels closed out the win in the bottom of the ninth, making Espinosa's home run the game-winning hit. In his lone season with the team, Espinosa struggled offensively through the first half of the season, hitting under .170 in 75 games. On July 16, Espinosa was designated for assignment. He was released on July 22. He batted .162/.237/.276 in 228 at bats.

Seattle Mariners

Espinosa signed a major league contract with the

on July 23, 2017. He batted .188/.235/.313 in 8 games with the team. Espinosa was released by Seattle on August 20.

Tampa Bay Rays

On August 25, 2017, Espinosa signed a major league contract with the

. He batted .273/.333/.273 in 8 appearances for the Rays. On September 25, Espinosa was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to the Triple–A

Durham Bulls The Durham Bulls are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. They are located in Durham, North Carolina, and play their home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened ...

Toronto Blue Jays

Espinosa signed a minor league contract with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

on January 29, 2018. He was released prior to the start of the season on March 12. On March 17, 2018, Espinosa signed a minor league contract with the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

that included an invitation to spring training. In 13 games for the Triple–A Buffalo Bisons, he hit .232/.271/.286 with no home runs and two RBI. Espinosa was released by the Blue Jays organization on April 29.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Espinosa signed a minor league deal with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...

on May 6, 2018. He was subsequently assigned to the Triple–A

Oklahoma City Dodgers The Oklahoma City Comets are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their ho ...

, where he had nine hits in 60 at-bats prior to his release on May 30.

Philadelphia Phillies

On June 22, 2018, Espinosa signed a minor league contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...

. In 31 games for the Triple–A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

, he slashed .200/.234/.352 with four home runs, 14 RBI, and three stolen bases. Espinosa was released by the Phillies organization on August 8.

Acereros de Monclova

On August 14, 2018, Espinosa signed with the Acereros de Monclova of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. In 17 games he hit .349/.453/.508 with 2 home runs, 16 RBIs and 6 stolen bases.

New York Mets

On February 8, 2019, Espinosa signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to spring training. He did not make the team and was assigned to the Triple–A

Syracuse Mets The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which ope ...

, appearing on their

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roster alongside a number of other veteran players. In 129 games for the Triple–A

, Espinosa batted .256/.338/.440 with 20 home runs, 84 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. He elected free agency following the season on November 4.

Acereros de Monclova (second stint)

On February 29, 2020, Espinosa signed with the Acereros de Monclova of the

. Espinosa did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In 26 games for Monclova in 2021, he hit .281/.397/.521 with four home runs and 17 RBI. Espinosa retired from professional baseball on March 1, 2022.

Personal life

Espinosa is of

Mexican-American Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

descent. He and his wife, Sara, had their first child, a son, in 2016. The family resides in

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Espinosa, Danny 1987 births Living people Acereros de Monclova players American baseball players of Mexican descent American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Chatham Anglers players Harrisburg Senators players Leones de Ponce baseball players Long Beach State Dirtbags baseball players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball second basemen Mexican League baseball shortstops Naranjeros de Hermosillo players Oklahoma City Dodgers players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Potomac Nationals players Seattle Mariners players Baseball players from Santa Ana, California Syracuse Chiefs players Syracuse Mets players Tampa Bay Rays players United States national baseball team players Vermont Lake Monsters players Washington Nationals players 21st-century American sportsmen Baseball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in baseball Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Olympic baseball players for Mexico Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California) alumni