Yency Almonte chose to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery instead of attempting to further rehab a minor tear in his right labrum. The Cubs put Almonte on the 15-day injured list May 8 and moved him to the 60-day IL on June 27.
“It’s upsetting,” Almonte said. “I came in here with a positive mindset from the trade, ready to go, dominate. I feel like I threw well and was in a good place mentally. Building [new relationships], trying to fit in and be that source for young guys.”
Almonte said he won’t know his timetable for recovery until after the surgery and hasn’t been told officially when the procedure will happen.
Almonte, 30, was acquired with Michael Busch from the Dodgers on Jan. 11 for a pair of minor-leaguers. Before getting hurt, Almonte had a 3.45 ERA in 17 appearances, compiling 20 strikeouts in 15‰ innings with a 1.09 WHIP.
Help on the way?
Mark Leiter Jr. (strained right forearm) and Julian Merryweather (rib stress fracture) threw live batting-practice sessions. Merryweather will go on a rehab assignment to Single-A South Bend for the next week, and Leiter will be activated at some point on the upcoming road trip.
Lining up
Tomas Nido made his third consecutive start behind the plate while the Cubs give Miguel Amaya time to work on offensive -issues. Amaya is hitting .186.
“Offensively, [Amaya] needs to do better, and he knows that,” Counsell said. “He’s a better hitter than he’s showing.”
Meanwhile, the Cubs sat Christopher Morel, even though the Angels started left-hander Tyler Anderson. Counsell said -Morel would’ve gotten a day off Friday but Pete Crow-Armstrong’s hand injury scuttled those plans. Crow-Armstrong also missed Saturday.
History in the booth
On Sunday, the Cubs’ TV broadcast on Marquee Sports Network will employ the first all-female crew in team history. Beth Mowins will serve as the play-by-play announcer with Elise Menaker as the analyst and Taylor McGregor as the field reporter.
