Daniel Espino Comeback Story Continues
Published on April 29, 2026 under International League (IL)
Columbus Clippers News Release
COLUMBUS, OH - The Columbus Clippers couldn't get their offense rolling after rain delayed the first pitch Wednesday night, ultimately falling to the visiting Toledo Mud Hens 3-1.
One of the great stories playing out in front of Clippers fans is the comeback story of right-handed pitcher Daniel Espino, who worked another scoreless inning of relief in Wednesday's game against Toledo. Espino was Cleveland's first round draft pick in 2019, but high hopes early in his career gave way to injury and surgery. When Espino came to Columbus at the end of the 2025 season, it was his first time pitching in a live game since 2022. He has a 3.12 ERA so far this year in ten outings with ten strikeouts.
Dayan Frias, who was playing left field Wednesday, singled leading off the bottom of the 3rd inning. It was the only hit for Columbus until right fielder Nolan Jones singled leading off the 7th. Neither of those hits led to a run.
Things finally got cooking in the 8th though. Newcomer Maick Collado singled and was later driven in by center fielder Kahlil Watson to pull the Clippers within two.
Left-hander Ryan Webb started the game. He surrendered two runs over 4.0 innings, striking out three as his record fell to 0-3.
After Wednesday's game, both Columbus and Toledo have a record of 15-14.
The Clippers and Mud Hens meet again on Thursday with a special first pitch time of 6:35pm at Huntington Park. It's Puppypalooza presented by Nationwide Pet Insurance, featuring the popular pre-game puppy parade around the field. The Clippers will transform into Los Veleros de Columbus. Fans can purchase tickets at ClippersBaseball.com.
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