Who is Jose Espada? Padres pitching prospect set to make MLB debut amid team’s desperate playoff bid

With their playoff hopes hanging on by a thread, the San Diego Padres have promoted pitching prospect Jose Espada to the major leagues. According to the American Association’s Milwaukee Milkmen, the Padres have selected the contract of the 26-year-old pitcher.

The right-hander from Ponce, Puerto Rico is likely to serve as a long-releiver for the San Diego Padres, who are currently 4.0 games outside of the final National League Wild Card spot. It's unclear when Jose Espada will make his official debut, however, it could come as early as Friday night when the Friars take on the St. Louis Cardinals.

Espada, who was originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round of the 2015 MLB Draft, will finally get his first taste of major league action after spending eight seasons in the minors. The pitcher has been solid this season through 83.1 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. The 26-year-old has a combined 3-2 record with a 2.81 ERA with 110 strikeouts.

Although the San Diego Padres have a full 40-man roster, they have placed Tim Hill on the 60-day IL to open a spot for Jose Espada. The fact that Hill has already been ruled out for the remainder of the year made this an easy decision for the franchise.

"The #Padres have selected the contract of RHP Jose Espada from Triple-A El Paso, optioned RHP Nick Hernandez to El Paso, and transferred LHP Tim Hill to the 60-Day IL." - @Padres

Here's a closer look at Jose Espada and what San Diego Padres fans can expect from their newly promoted pitcher

According to Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs, the San Diego Padres are not getting a power pitcher, instead, Espada relies on his curveball and changeup to get him through innings.

It will be interesting to see how handles MLB batters, but the fact that the San Diego Padres have one of the top defenses in the league this season should help ease some of the pressure. Petco Park, which is the home stadium for the Friars, is ranked as one of the least friendly to opposing hitters, so there are several exterior factors that could help Espada thrive.

“Cool it with the Cy Young talk, everyone. The Padres’ defense is too good!” - @the_Beerkid69