Guardians Recall Dominant Reliever Ahead of White Sox Matchup

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Guardians Recall Dominant Reliever Ahead of White Sox Matchup

Tommy Wild · Roundtable Sports

Fri, Jul 3, 2026 ·

2 min read

Franco Aleman Recalled From Triple-A

Franco Aleman making it back to the big leagues after making his MLB debut earlier in the season was never and "if" it was always a "when."

Finally, the time has come, and the Guardians recalled the dominant Minor League pitcher on Friday ahead of Cleveland 's contest against the Chicago White Sox.

Aleman has the potential to truly add another high-leverage arm to Cleveland's bullpen. He owns a 0.32 ERA (1 ER/28.2 IP) at Triple-A this season. The 26-year-old also owns a strikeout rate of 42.6 percent and a whiff rate of 34.1 percent.

Aleman is also a perfect nine-for-nine in save opportunities for the Columbus Clippers.

The right-hander appeared in two games with the Guardians' big-league roster in May, allowing one run, walking one, and striking out one batter over 2.2 innings.

It'll be interesting to see what role Aleman has in Cleveland's bullpen. At the very least, he represents a fresh arm that could throw multiple innings.

May 10, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Franco Aleman (55) throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images

Daniel Espino Optioned To Triple-A

With Aleman joining Cleveland's big-league roster, someone has to get sent down to the Minor Leagues. In this case, it was Daniel Espino who was the odd man out and optioned to Triple-A.

Espino being sent back to the Minor Leagues isn't a reflection on his performance on the mound. It had everything to do with the Guardians needing a fresh arm and the 24-year-old throwing 35 pitches on Thursday evening, the most he's pitched in a game in over four years.

"Daniel pitched unbelievably last night [Thursday]," Vogt said pregame.

"What does it do? Earns you trip back to Columbus, but that's just the way it works. Daniel was incredible when we talked to him. [He] knows he's going to be back to help us win."

In Espino's first big-league stint, he pitched in five games and gave up three earned runs while striking out nine batters.

As Vogt said, he should back at some point this season.

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