The locker room at Camelback Ranch is quite spacious, but the Dodgers are testing its capacity this spring training. The latest addition is infielder Santiago Espinal, who was signed to a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training, per the variousbeat reporterson site in Arizona.
Espinal makes 34 Dodgers non-roster invitees in camp, including 12 non-catching position players.
Espinal, 31, has played in the majors in each of the last six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds. Last year in 114 games with Cincinnati, Espinal hit .243/.292/.282 with 12 doubles and no home runs in 328 plate appearances. Over his career the right-handed-batting Espinal is a .261/.316/.349 hitter with an 85 wRC+, including .291/.344/.409 with a 107 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
The veteran has played all over the infield, with 196 career starts at third base, 180 starts at second base, 34 starts at shortstop, plus seven starts in right field, six in left, and two starts at first base.
Espinal is at least nominally part of the competition for playing time at second base with Tommy Edman set to start the regular season on the injured list after right ankle surgery in November, manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Monday at Camelback Ranch.
Should Espinal happen make the Dodgers roster, he would have the right to refuse any minor league assignment due to his five years, 149 days of major league service time.