Guardians RHP prospect Daniel Espino struck out two in a scoreless inning on Tuesday in Arizona Fall League action.

It’s been a long road back for Espino, who has barely pitched over the last four years due to persistent shoulder issues. The hard-throwing 24-year-old was arguably the top pitching prospect in baseball back in 2022 before injuries derailed his development. He returned to minor league game action in late September and will make up for lost time in the fall circuit. It’s challenging to forecast his future given the extended layoff, but his stuff has looked formidable in the brief glimpses we’ve gotten lately. He averaged 96.9 mph on his four-seam fastball in his AFL debut and generated five swinging strikes on 16 pitches. He’s a fascinating pitching prospect to monitor heading into next season.