Cubs Place Reliever Yency Almonte on IL, Recall José Cuas from Iowa
On Saturday, the club announced a significant blow as reliever Yency Almonte has been sidelined, being placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain. To fill the void left by Almonte’s absence, the Cubs have opted to recall reliever José Cuas from Triple-A Iowa.
Almonte’s placement on the IL has been retroactively set to May 8, indicating that he will be eligible to return to action on May 23. Despite this setback, Almonte, aged 29, had showcased promising form with four consecutive scoreless appearances, effectively reducing his ERA from 4.91 to a commendable 3.45 during that period.
Throughout the season, Almonte has demonstrated his reliability, pitching a total of 15.2 innings, notching eight walks and an impressive 20 strikeouts, with a notable FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) of 3.34. Meanwhile, Cuas, also aged 29, receives another opportunity with the major league club after encountering difficulties during his initial stint.
Cuas endured a challenging start to the season, posting a concerning 12.00 ERA across five games with the big league club, surrendering eight earned runs in just six innings pitched, while registering two walks and six strikeouts.
While honing his skills with Iowa, Cuas has exhibited a mixed bag of results this year. Despite an encouraging 17 strikeouts over a mere 8.1 innings, he has also conceded eight hits and four earned runs during that stretch.
As the Cubs set their sights on Saturday’s matchup, aiming to improve their record to 24-16 and secure their first series victory of the year against the Pirates, they will heavily rely on Cuas and the rest of the team to deliver a stellar performance, with the first pitch scheduled for 3:05 p.m. local time.