D-backs Ink Kyle Garlick, Albert Almora Jr. To Minors Deals
The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed outfielders Kyle Garlick and Albert Almora to minor-league deals. Garlick, 32, has spent the last three seasons with the Minnesota Twins but his production took a major turn for the worse in the 2023 season. Known as a lefty-masher, the righty-swinging Garlick hit just .179 with a 36.7% K% across a small 30-plate-appearance sample size in the 2023 season. He did hover around league average in his previous two seasons, as per wRC+, and has generally hit left-handed pitching well in his career. Almora, 29, didn't appear in the big leagues in the 2023 season as he suffered a shoulder injury late in the 2022 season. He is a career .239 hitter with 33 home runs and seven stolen bases across 600 MLB contests.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Albert Almora Jr. (illness) was sent out on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday. The 28-year-old has been on the COVID-19 injured list for a little over two weeks. Prior to landing on the COVID-19 injured list, he was serving as a reserve outfielder for the team. Over 48 games on the year, he has slashed .234/.259/.371 with five home runs, 26 RBI and 18 runs. Expect to see him back in the majors at some point within the next week.
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Albert Almora Jr. was removed in the fifth inning of Thursday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks with an undisclosed injury. He attempted a diving catch in the fourth inning of the game and could have sustained an injury during the play, but the cause of the injury hasn't been revealed by the team yet. TJ Friedl came in to take over in center field, pushing Aristides Aquino to right field. Almora has slashed .309/.325/.420 over 23 games on the year and he's settled into a regular outfield role with the team lately.
The Cincinnati Reds reportedly have signed free-agent outfielder Albert Almora Jr. to an undisclosed deal, as he is with the team in spring camp. Almora will join the Reds this year after slashing an ugly .115/.148/.173 with no home runs or RBI in 54 plate appearances in his lone season with the New York Mets. Before the 2021 season, he hit a combined .271/.309/.398 with 28 long balls, 134 RBI and 160 runs scored in 1,316 plate appearances over 489 games for the Chicago Cubs from 2016-20. The 27-year-old is mostly a glove-first player, and although there is opportunity in Cincinnati, Almora is unlikely to be much of a fantasy asset in deeper leagues, even if he earns regular playing time with the Reds.
New York Mets outfielder Albert Almora Jr. got the spot start in center field Thursday, giving Brandon Nimmo a breather, and he was the team's offensive star of the game. Unfortunately for the Mets, all it took to be the star of the game was to go 3-for-5 with a double, two singles, and a run scored as the team fell 4-2. Despite the strong game, Almora Jr. has recorded a minuscule .352 OPS in his 45 at-bats this season, and sees nowhere near enough playing time to be a fantasy consideration.
Albert Almora Jr. Activated From IL, Starting Saturday
New York Mets outfielder Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder) was activated from the injured list on Saturday and is back in the starting lineup, according to Justin Toscano of NorthJersey.com. Almora has missed over a month with a shoulder injury after colliding hard with the outfield wall on May 11, but before the injury he was struggling at the plate with a 0.48/.091/.048 triple-slash line across 20 games. He's back in the starting lineup Saturday, and is batting eighth against Jon Lester and the Nationals. As of right now he's unlikely to have much value in fantasy.
New York Mets outfielder Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder) joined the team as they traveled to Washington ahead of a four-game series against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo reported via Twitter on Friday. This would indicate that Almora has completed his rehab stint, although he has not been activated from the injured list just yet. While the 27-year-old can offer outfield depth once he's healthy, he has struggled at the plate so far this season with one hit in 21 at-bats and doesn't have much fantasy upside.
New York Mets outfielder Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder) has begun swinging a bat and could begin a rehab assignment within a week, according to manager Luis Rojas. The glove-first outfielder was placed on the injured list on May 12 after running into the outfield wall the day before. Almora has struggled in limited time in 2021, slashing .048/.091/.048 in 21 at-bats, but amidst the injury struggles the Mets have faced, he would swiftly jump to the top of the depth chart in center field upon his return. Desperate NL-only fantasy managers should take note, but all others can leave Almora to the waiver wire.
New York Mets outfielder Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday following a hard collision with the outfield wall in Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. He was forced to leave Tuesday's game and was able to walk off the field in his own power. X-rays came back negative on his shoulder and neck. Notwithstanding the positive X-ray news, Almora has some posterior shoulder pain and, as a result, he was placed on the IL. In a corresponding move, the Mets called up outfield prospect Khalil Lee. Kevin Pillar should be the team's primary center fielder at this point while Brandon Nimmo (finger) remains on the IL. That said, Nimmo is scheduled to return within the next few days.
New York Mets outfielder Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder) had a hard collision with the outfield wall in Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. He was forced to leave the game and was able to walk off the field in his own power. X-rays came back negative on his shoulder and neck. He has some posterior shoulder pain, but it looks like he's avoided a serious injury. He'll be reevaluated by the team prior to Wednesday's game. Kevin Pillar would be the team's primary center fielder if Almora is forced to sit, though Brandon Nimmo (finger) appears likely to return from the injured list this weekend.