Almonte (shoulder) elected free agency Monday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Almonte had right shoulder surgery in July and is expected to be sidelined until around midseason of next year. He will do his rehabbing in another organization after declining an outright assignment from the Cubs.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Hopes for midseason return in 2025
Rotowire
Almonte (shoulder) said Saturday that he hopes to make a full recovery from right labrum surgery in less than 12 months, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
On the shelf since May 11 with a right shoulder strain, Almonte had been treating the injury with rest and rehab but has ultimately decided to get season-ending surgery after he recently sought a second opinion following a setback in the recovery process. A more precise timeline for Almonte's return to game action could come once he undergoes surgery in the coming days, but he's already seemingly preparing to miss time to begin the 2025 campaign. For the time being, Almonte is seemingly targeting a return shortly before the All-Star break next season.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Set for season-ending surgery
Rotowire
Almonte will undergo surgery on his right shoulder and is expected to miss the rest of the season, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Almonte was shut down from throwing Wednesday after receiving a second opinion on his strained right shoulder, and he'll now elect to undergo surgery rather than restart his rehab process. A clearer timeline for his recovery will likely emerge once he goes under the knife, but the Cubs aren't expecting the 30-year-old righty to return to action until some point in the 2025 season. He'll finish the 2024 campaign with a 3.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP alongside a 20:8 K:BB over 15.2 innings.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Shut down from throwing
Rotowire
Almonte will be shut down from throwing after receiving a second opinion on his right shoulder strain Wednesday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Manager Craig Counsell noted Wednesday that Almonte "didn't get great news" during his second opinion, and the right-hander will decide whether to resume rehab through a strengthening program or undergo surgery for his strained right shoulder, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports. Before landing on the injured list in May, Almonte registered six holds and one save over 17 outings with a 3.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB across 15.2 innings. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list June 27, and the 30-year-old could be on the shelf for the rest of the season if he opts for surgery.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Suffers setback
Rotowire
Almonte suffered a setback in his ramp-up from a strained right shoulder, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.
Almonte and the Cubs have been forced to "press pause" on his recovery, according to manager Craig Counsell. The team is expected to seek another opinion on the right-hander's shoulder and his status moving forward appears to be up in the air for the time being.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Completes bullpen session
Rotowire
Almonte (shoulder) threw about 30 pitches during a bullpen session Monday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Almonte completed his first bullpen session since being cleared for mound work Friday. He's been rehabbing at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, where he'll remain before being shipped out on a rehab assignment. Almonte hasn't pitched since May 7 and is battling a strained throwing shoulder.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Plays catch Tuesday
Rotowire
Almonte (shoulder) was seen playing catch Tuesday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Almonte has been dealing with a right shoulder strain but resumed throwing after being shut down for nearly two weeks. It's unclear if he'll need a rehab assignment before returning from the injured list, but the righty will likely be out for at least another week.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Hopes to throw next week
Rotowire
Almonte (shoulder) remains shut down but hopes to resume a throwing program next week, Ryan Herrera of MLB.com reports.
Almonte landed on the 15-day injured list almost a week ago with a right shoulder strain and is currently limited to doing strengthening exercises. However, the Cubs hope he won't need a long absence. Almonte boasts a 3.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 20 strikeouts in 15.2 innings this season.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: To IL with shoulder strain
Rotowire
Almonte was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right shoulder strain, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
He didn't recover well from his last outing Tuesday against the Padres and there is no timeline for his return, per manager Craig Counsell. Almonte has a 3.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 20 strikeouts, one win and one save in 15.2 innings through 17 appearances.
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Cubs' Yency Almonte: Nabs four-out save
Rotowire
Almonte picked up the save Tuesday against Houston, recording a strikeout over 1.1 perfect innings.
After manager Craig Counsell announced Sunday that Adbert Alzolay was no longer the Cubs' closer, Almonte filled that role Tuesday. While Almonte's the first Cub with a save since the announcement, Hector Neris, who got a save in Game 2 of Saturday's double-header, and Mark Leiter, who Almonte replaced in the eighth, could be part of what seems to be a short-term closing committee.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Avoids arbitration with LAD
Rotowire
Almonte signed a one-year, $1.9 million contract with the Dodgers on Friday, avoiding arbitration, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Almonte regressed last season following his dominant first year with the Dodgers in 2022, but $1.9 million is a drop in the bucket for Los Angeles. He should be part of the Opening Day bullpen mix in 2024.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Sent on rehab assignment
Rotowire
Almonte (knee) was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City on a rehab assignment Saturday.
Almonte has been out since he injured his right knee while pitching in Colorado on Aug. 11. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has said that the pitcher probably would not be ready until around the start of the NLCS. If the Dodgers get to that point, the 29-year-old will have gone over two months since the injury.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Likely out until NLCS
Rotowire
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Dani Wexelman of MLB Network Radio on Friday that Almonte (knee) probably won't be ready to return until around the start of the NLCS.
That's assuming the Dodgers even get there, of course, and even then it might not be a given that he's added to the roster following a long layoff. Almonte will have missed more than two months of action by that point with a right knee sprain, although he did recently resume throwing off a mound.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Aiming for October return
Rotowire
Almonte (knee) tossed a bullpen session Tuesday that he said went well, and his goal is to be ready to pitch for the Dodgers in October, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Almonte has been out of action since injuring his right knee while pitching against Colorado on Aug. 11. The righty reliever said in an interview with SportsNet LA this week that he's not yet 100 percent and is taking a measured approach to rehab in order to prevent a setback. Almonte is slated to toss another bullpen session soon, which could help determine whether he's ready to face hitters. The Dodgers' last regular-season contest will take place Oct. 1, so Almonte isn't likely to provide help to the team's bullpen until the playoffs, if at all.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Injures knee Friday, may head to IL
Rotowire
Almonte departed Friday's game against Colorado due to a right knee injury, and manager Dave Roberts said after the contest that it could be an IL situation, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Almonte had worked 1.2 scoreless innings and was attempting to close out the victory when he got a cleat caught while releasing a pitch. The reliever speculated after the game that he may have hyperextended his right knee, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, though an official diagnosis has yet to be announced. Almonte threw two more pitches (both balls) before he was relieved by Ryan Brasier, but Roberts nonetheless suggested that the right-hander may miss multiple weeks, saying, "It wouldn't surprise me if it's an IL [stint]."
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: On paternity leave
Rotowire
The Dodgers placed Almonte on the paternity list Thursday, J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Almonte is allowed to miss up to three days as he steps away from the team to be with his growing family. If he takes off all three days, his next appearance will come after the All-Star break. The 29-year-old reliever holds a 5.15 ERA and 1.39 WHIP through 36.2 innings this season.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Has another rough outing
Rotowire
Almonte allowed four runs on two hits and one walk over 1.1 innings against the Pirates on Wednesday.
Almonte entered the game with the Dodgers in a jam in the sixth inning, inheriting a two-on, one-out situation. He escaped by inducing a double play, but the right-hander was less effective in the following frame. He allowed four hitters to reach base, and all four came around to score, though two crossed the plate after Almonte departed. The veteran reliever has been charged with multiple runs in three of his 12 outings this season, including in two of his past three trips to the mound.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Nearing activation
Rotowire
Almonte (elbow) completed his third minor-league rehab outing Sunday and is expected to return to the Dodgers on Wednesday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Almonte gave up two runs over two-thirds of an inning for Triple-A Oklahoma on Sunday, though both scored after he exited the contest. The right-hander looked fine despite the unpleasant stat line, throwing 10 of 16 pitches for strikes and getting unlucky on one of the hits (a bloop single). Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has indicated that Almonte will be activated Wednesday as long as he doesn't encounter any physical setbacks, and the veteran reliever should return to a prominent place in the team's bullpen after posting a 1.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 30:10 K:BB while notching seven holds and a save over his first 29 outings.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Tosses sim game
Rotowire
Almonte (elbow) threw 25 pitches to teammate Gavin Lux (neck) in a sim game Wednesday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
Almonte was one of several injured Dodger pitchers who threw from a mound Wednesday, though he was the only one of the group who tossed to a hitter. The right-hander reportedly felt good during the sim game, with Dodgers manager Dave Roberts describing his stuff as "coming out hot," per MLB.com. Almonte is expected to toss another sim game soon before potentially heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment.
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Dodgers' Yency Almonte: Progressing well
Rotowire
Almonte (elbow) is progressing well, but he might need a rehab stint before joining the Dodgers, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.
He threw a bullpen session Sunday and feels good and will get back on the mound Tuesday intent on using his entire pitch mix. It sounds like Almonte could join the big-league bullpen with two or three weeks to go in the regular season.
