Cubs’ Yency Almonte sidelined, considering shoulder surgery

Yency Almonte hasn’t pitched since May 7 because of a right shoulder sprain, and lingering discomfort in his shoulder has led to a possible crossroads in how the Cubs right-hander plans to manage the injury. Craig Counsell told reporters (including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune) that Almonte had recently received a less-than-positive second opinion on his ailing shoulder and was “think about what to do here” with possible surgery being considered. For now, Almonte is not allowed to pitch while he recovers and decides his next step.

The exact nature of the surgery is still unknown, but it seems almost certain that Almonte would miss the remainder of the 2024 season and could potentially be out for up to a year, depending on the timing of more serious shoulder surgeries other pitchers have had in the past. Either way, it’s a tough outcome for Almonte, who was putting up good numbers before being placed on injured reserve.

Acquired from the Dodgers alongside Michael Busch Last January, Almonte had a 3.45 ERA in 15 2/3 innings and 17 appearances for the Cubs. His 11.9% walk rate was high, and Almonte had a .222 BABIP but a 29.9% strikeout rate and just one home run allowed in those 15 2/3 innings. After relying heavily on a sweeper in 2022-23, Almonte has used his sinker and sweeper in more or less equal measure this season, which has also helped set up his 94 mph fastball.

Beyond the analytics, Almonte’s success in 2024 might have been inevitable because it’s an even-numbered year. The right-hander has oscillated between good and bad years throughout his seven MLB seasons, tending toward quality numbers in even-numbered years and struggling in odd-numbered years. For example, Almonte’s stint with the Dodgers included a 1.02 ERA in 35 1/3 innings in 2022, followed by a 5.06 ERA over 48 innings with Los Angeles in 2023 before a knee sprain ended his season in mid-August.

Unfortunately, injuries appear to have disrupted Almonte’s usual routine. He was already removed from the Dodgers’ 40-man roster when he was transferred to the 60-day injured list last week. The Cubs have another year of arbitration control over Almonte for the 2025 season, and while a non-tendered deal is certainly possible depending on his health, Chicago could still hand him a contract since Almonte would receive only a minimal raise on his $1.9 million salary for 2024.

Almonte is one of five relievers on the Cubs’ injured list, and relief pitching was already an issue for Chicago even before so much of the bullpen was sidelined. On the bright side, Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy recently told MLB.com and other outlets that Julian Merryweather is about to be assigned to a minor league rehab assignment, and Mark Leiter Jr. He threw a 30-pitch session on Wednesday and could be able to return next week without undergoing a rehabilitation period.