The Diamondbacks quietly beefed up their infield depth this week, signing Santiago Espinal to a minor league contract and assigning him to Triple-A Reno.
Espinal isn't a big name, but he's not a nobody either. The 2022 All-Star has bounced around all year, making 36 appearances with the Dodgers before getting cut loose by the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate on July 28. Arizona is stop number 3 for him in 2026, and the timing lines up with a real need in the desert.
That need has a name: Nolan Arenado. The veteran third baseman left last Sunday's loss to the Braves after feeling what he called "a little something" in his left trunk, with fears it could be an intercostal muscle issue serious enough for an IL stint. He was set for an MRI before Arizona figured out its next move.
Throw in lingering uncertainty around Ketel Marte's availability, and a contact-oriented, glove-first infielder like Espinal — capable of playing second or third — stops looking like a throwaway minor league flier and starts looking like a genuine break-glass option if Arenado lands on the shelf.
For now it's just organizational depth on paper, no guarantee Espinal sees Chase Field before rosters expand. But if Arenado's MRI comes back ugly, the Diamondbacks just gave themselves a warm body who's played meaningful innings at the hot corner as recently as this season, and that matters more with October implications on the line.