Jose Espada has been the epitome of patience, spending eight years in the minors before finally getting called up to the big leagues.
With the Padres optioning right-hander Nick Hernandez to Triple-A El Paso and moving Tim Hill to the 60-day injured list, Espada was finally able to join a big-league roster.
He made his MLB debut in the ninth inning of Sunday's victory over the Cardinals, walking a pair of batters but also recording two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of work.
Shortly after he was officially called up, Espada spoke with reporters sharing that he was understandably over the moon about the opportunity.
“As far as emotions go for me, overwhelmed,” Espada said through interpreter Danny Sanchez. “A lot of joy. A lot of excitement. I cried a little bit and all my teammates were proud of me and I’m proud of myself to be able to be here.”
Before this season, Espada had never been above A-ball, but held a 3-2 record and a 2.81 ERA in 26 appearances in Double-A this season. He played nine games in Triple-A with a 2.79 ERA before the big call-up.
The Padres are still alive in the Wild Card race but are hanging by a thread. An appearance in October would be nothing short of a miracle, and the likelihood of the 26-year-old Espada playing a key role in their climb back into the NL standings would be an even bigger miracle.
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