Almonte has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha, Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City reports.
Almonte was competing for a spot in the Royals' big league bullpen, but he'll now return to Triple-A Omaha, where he pitched 60 innings in 2016. At 23 years old, he still has time to keep developing. However, the Royals will be hoping the young right-hander can improve upon 5.55 ERA he posted last season.