Del Mar racetrack
On July 22, 2018, Espinoza was injured when riding Bobby Abu Dhabi at the Del Mar racetrack. Espinoza suffered a fractured vertebra but was initially expected to make a full recovery. Several weeks after the accident, he continued to have trouble shaving, walking and getting out of bed, and lacks feeling in his left arm. On January 5, 2019, Espinoza returned to riding at the Santa Anita Park.