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Dodgers Sign Former Pitcher to Minor League Deal
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- Dodgers Sign Former Pitcher to Minor League Deal
The Los Angeles Dodgers have brought back a reliever who starred for the team a few years ago in hopes he can regain his form.
Yency Almonte posted to his Instagram story an image of him holding a Dodgers spring training cap alongside the message "back at it again."
Oct 14, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Yency Almonte (38) pitches in the fifth inns against the San Diego Padres during game three of the NLDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports Almonte is back on a minor-league deal.
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Almonte Has Struggled Since Strong Season with Dodgers
Almonte had a stellar year for the Dodgers in 2022, recording a 1.02 ERA and 0.792 WHIP over 35.1 innings of work.
He struggled in 2023, however, with an ERA of 5.06 for the Dodgers before he was traded to the Chicago Cubs in January 2024, when he and Michael Busch were traded for Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope.
Once in Chicago, Almonte only pitched through May before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.
In 15.2 innings, he had an ERA of 3.45 and WHIP of 1.085.
After surgery, he didn't pitch in the majors at all in 2025, noted Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic .
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Where Will Almonte Fit With the Dodgers?
Almonte joins a deep bullpen.
In the offseason, the Dodgers signed one of the sport's dominant closers in Edwin Diaz , adding him to a roster that already included hurlers like Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen .
Additionally, Alex Vesia is back after missing last year's World Series due to the death of his daughter, and Brusdar Graterol is set to return as well, though he won't be ready to start the year.
Manager Dave Roberts expressed excitement at Almonte's return to the Boys in Blue.
"Happy to have him back," he said. "I think he's still working his way back, but I'm excited about that."
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Also in the mix are players like World Series hero Will Klein , and Roberts said their injuries
"Competition is healthy. Health is the most important thing as we look out to the season, who's going to be healthy, who's going to be ready … We have a lot of viable candidates, and for me, it's just build up, compete, get better each day. Once we ultimately have to make a decision, hopefully we have some great options."
