Guardians Split Doubleheader as Espino, DeLauter Shine

Daniel Espino throws scoreless inning, Chase DeLauter homers and doubles in Guardians' wins and losses

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The Cleveland Guardians split their Sunday doubleheader in Arizona, with Daniel Espino throwing a scoreless inning and Chase DeLauter homering and doubling in the wins and losses. Espino, the Guardians' top pitching prospect, made his spring training debut after a long road back from injuries, while DeLauter returned to the lineup after missing time with 'lower body soreness'.

Why it matters

The performances of Espino and DeLauter are encouraging signs for the Guardians as they look to build on their 2025 season and return to the playoffs. Espino's successful return to the mound is a major milestone in his recovery, while DeLauter's power display shows the potential of the team's young core.

The details

In the Guardians' 9-6 loss to the Diamondbacks, Espino retired the side in order in the first inning, topping out at 98 mph. He has pitched just 5 1/3 professional innings since April 2022 due to a series of shoulder injuries. In the Guardians' 8-3 win over the Rockies, DeLauter doubled, homered, and drove in two runs in his return to the lineup. Gavin Williams, another top Guardians prospect, started against the Rockies and allowed one run over three innings.

  • Espino threw his scoreless inning on Sunday, March 2, 2026.
  • DeLauter played in the Guardians' split-squad games on Sunday, March 2, 2026.

The players

Daniel Espino

The Guardians' top pitching prospect, who has endured a long road back from shoulder injuries and made his spring training debut on Sunday.

Chase DeLauter

A top Guardians prospect who homered and doubled in his return to the lineup after missing time with 'lower body soreness'.

Gavin Williams

Another top Guardians pitching prospect who started against the Rockies, allowing one run over three innings.

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What they’re saying

“I think everyone in the organization is excited to see Daniel pitch in a major league spring training game. It's been a long road for him to get to this point. He's kept his attitude far better than any of us would have.”

— Stephen Vogt, Manager (cleveland.com)

What’s next

The Guardians will continue their spring training schedule, with RHP Slade Cecconi facing the Texas Rangers and RHP Nathan Eovaldi on Monday, March 3, 2026 at 3:05 PM in Surprise, Arizona.

The takeaway

The strong performances from Espino and DeLauter are a promising sign for the Guardians as they look to build on their 2025 season and return to the playoffs. The development of their top prospects will be crucial to the team's long-term success.