CHICAGO –– When the Cincinnati Reds signed Albert Almora Jr. on March 20, he only had two weeks to prove he belonged on the Opening Day roster.
Almora Jr. signed with the Reds with the expectation that he’d compete with Aristides Aquino and TJ Friedl for a spot as a backup outfielder. Almora Jr. had only played in 82 big league games between 2020 and 2021 as he hit .134 across those two seasons, but he was confident that a major adjustment to his swing could get his career back on track.