Dave Roberts indicated that the Los Angeles Dodgers could be without one of their relievers for the near future. Yency Almonte was pulled from the ninth inning of the Dodgers' 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies Friday because of a knee injury. Roberts said it wouldn't surprise him if Yency Almonte ends up on the IL, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.

Almonte told reporters that his cleat got caught on the mound and he hyperextended his knee. The Dodgers' reliever noted that he didn't believe he suffered a significant injury, maybe just a sprain. Roberts and Los Angeles could choose to be cautious and put Almonte on the IL, making sure he's completely healthy for the stretch run.

Almonte is an important reliever for the Dodgers, despite his overall poor numbers. The right-hander's 5.06 ERA largely reflects his poor start to the 2023 season. Since May 20, Almonte has a 2.70 ERA in 30 innings.

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Almonte's 49 appearances are the second-most among any pitcher in the Dodgers bullpen. Last year, his 1.02 ERA led the team. Almonte wasn't nearly as effective when the Padres eliminated the Dodgers from the 2022 playoffs.

Friday's victory over Colorado gave Los Angeles 10 wins in its last 11 games. The Dodgers' winning streak has allowed them to pull away from the rest of the NL West. Los Angeles has a commanding 7.5-game lead over the San Francisco Giants, on its way to yet another division title.

The Dodgers are in pole position to earn a first-round playoff bye with a top-two seed in the National League. Los Angeles is seven games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers in the race for the second NL bye.