Espinal and fellow Blue Jays minor leaguer Forrest Wall have been staying in Florida with Bo Bichette during the shutdown, Gregor Chisholm of The Toronto Star reports.
Bichette's father, four-time All-Star Dante Bichette, has a gym and batting cages near his home, giving Espinal all the facilities he needs to stay in shape. The 25-year-old had already been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo when spring training was put on pause, but his impressive Grapefruit League showing (.417/.462/1.000 and seven extra-base hits in 26 plate appearances) and strong defense mark him as the most likely internal replacement at shortstop should anything sideline Bichette during the regular season, and Espinal could still find a spot on an expanded big-league roster.