Abraham Almonte receives another opportunity with Chisenhall still out

Cleveland Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte has rejoined the team as Lonnie Chisenhall remains on the disabled list with no update on his return.

The Cleveland Indians have been with just four outfielders in August, and it has not been a problem.

Michael Brantley and Bradley Zimmer are the mainstays, while Austin Jackson has emerged as one of the key pieces on both offense and defense and Brandon Guyer is also starting to turn things around.

Abraham Almonte can be added into the mix again as he was called up from Columbus today.

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The move comes as Lonnie Chisenhall remains on the disabled list with a calf injury. He has not even had a rehab assignment yet, so it may be some time before he returns.

The good news is that the five outfielders on the roster are capable of producing while Chisenhall is out.

Almonte’s season batting average of .244 wasn’t helped by his .069 average in May, but he did hit .297 in July with a .350 on-base percentage.

The absence of Chisenhall is frustrating as he is having what could be a career year if he could remain healthy.

He has only appeared in 64 games, but is tied for fourth on the team with 51 RBI. His slash line of .305/.376/.578 would also rank among the best on the team if he was a qualified hitter.

But with the success of the other five on the team, the goal should be to not rush Chisenhall back into action. And if that means waiting until September, that would allow the Indians to carry all six outfielders and determine the best combination for the postseason.

In reality, Chisenhall won’t be rushed back in any scenario, as he is too valuable to bring back hurt during the regular season. A calf injury also prevents him from being an effective part on offense or defense.

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Almonte can now slot in at any of the outfield positions and as long as his offense remains consistent, the front office will have a tough decision when it comes time to choose just five outfielders. Luckily, this is a nice problem to have.