Santiago Espinal has found a new home yet again this season, agreeing to a minor-league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The former Toronto Blue Jays infielder, an All-Star in 2022, has been assigned to the D-backs organization’s Triple-A affiliate in Reno, per the Aces’ announcement Wednesday night. He’s joining his third franchise this year, after beginning the ’26 campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers and later catching on with the Texas Rangers.

It’s been a year full of minor-league signings for Espinal, who broke camp with the Dodgers out of spring training and spent the first two and a half months of the season filling in for the injured Tommy Edman. In 36 games, the 31-year-old hit .268/.276/.375 with three doubles, one home run and seven RBIs across 60 plate appearances, registering a 76 wRC+ (100 league average).

But upon Edman’s return from the IL in mid-June, the Dodgers designated Espinal for assignment and ultimately granted his release. A few weeks later, the Rangers scooped him up on a minor-league deal and assigned him to Triple-A, where he slashed .262/.333/.310 with zero home runs, one double, six RBIs and a 70 wRC+ in 11 games.

Espinal returned to the open market after the Rangers released him on July 28, and he remained unsigned for nearly a month before signing with the D-backs organization.

The right-handed-hitting infielder will now head to Reno, where he’ll serve as an extra layer of injury protection for a D-backs infield that appears a tad thin at the moment. They’re currently without All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte — transferred to the 10-day IL with a knee injury on Wednesday — and also saw third baseman Nolan Arenado miss time earlier this week due to an intercostal strain.

So if an extra infielder is needed, Espinal and his defensive versatility — he’s played every infield position other than catcher in the majors, even first base, logging six innings at that spot as a Dodger earlier this season — could fill a need as Arizona attempts to keep pace in the NL wild-card race.

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