Dodgers place RHP Yency Almonte on 15-day IL due to elbow tightness

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that right-hander Yency Almonte has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow tightness. In the corresponding move, righty Andre Jackson was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Almonte will get an MRI to investigate the injury, manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. On the plus side, Almonte said that he is familiar with this type of tightness and isn’t overly concerned about his status.

After spending his first four major league seasons with the Rockies, Almonte was outrighted off Colorado’s 40-man following last year, and he chose free agency. That led to a minor league deal with the Dodgers and an excellent comeback season for the 28-year-old. Almonte has a 1.15 ERA over 31 1/3 relief innings for Los Angeles, inducing a lot of soft contact and limiting the long ball (only two homers allowed) despite a below-average 24.6 percent strikeout rate.

Almonte showed flashes of such performance in Colorado, posting impressive results in both 2018 and 2020 when he has been able to keep the ball in the park. In 2021, however, he gave up nine homers over 47 2/3 innings, and between the home runs and an inflated walk rate, Almonte posted an ugly 7.55 ERA.

Jackson made his MLB debut in 2021, with 11 2/3 innings over three games for L.A. He was briefly on the Dodgers’ active roster back in April but didn’t get any game action, so his 2022 resume consists of a 5.20 ERA over 55 1/3 innings at Triple-A. Jackson battled control problems earlier in his minor league career, and those issues returned with a vengeance this year, as he has 48 free passes in his 55 1/3 innings (against 59 strikeouts).

Still, Roberts suggested that Jackson might receive a spot start for the Dodgers on Wednesday, filling in for the injured Clayton Kershaw. It will depend on whether or not Jackson is needed in relief over the next couple of days, and the Dodgers also have an off-day Monday to factor into their rotation set up.