Espinal exited Saturday's game against the Tigers with a strained right hip flexor, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
The severity of the injury is not yet clear. Espinal had stepped into a starting role at third base in the absence of Cavan Biggio, who's dealing with elbow, back and neck issues. Breyvic Valera replaced him in Saturday's contest and could spend time as a regular starter should Espinal miss an extended period as well, though Kevin Smith could also compete for opportunities.