DENVER -- Rockies 2021 Opening Day starting third baseman Joshua Fuentes and right-hander Yency Almonte, one of the team’s better relievers in 2020, were among four players who were outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday to open room on the club's 40-man Major League roster.

Fuentes, 28, earned National League Player of the Week honors in May after leading the Majors with 13 RBIs the previous week. But Fuentes finished batting .225 in 95 Major League games and spent much of the latter part of the season at Albuquerque. Fuentes, who is considered an outstanding defender at third and first and was also adding the outfield to his profile, batted .243 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs over three seasons.

Almonte, 27, went 1-3 with a 7.55 ERA in 48 games after posting a 3-0 record and 2.93 ERA in 24 games during the shortened 2020 season. He showed improved performance from August to October (3.48 ERA, .216 batting average against in 17 games) and went 4-4 with a 5.30 ERA in 114 games over four seasons with the club. He was arbitration-eligible.

Also outrighted were infielder Rio Ruiz, who played a utility role after being claimed off waivers from the Orioles in May, and righty reliever Tommy Doyle, who battled shoulder inflammation and made just 10 appearances at Double-A Hartford, after making three Major League appearances in 2020.

Almonte and Ruiz have the right to refuse the outright and become free agents. Fuentes is eligible for Minor League free agency five days after the World Series. Doyle is still officially in the Rockies’ organization.

The moves leave the Rockies at 35 players, five below the limit. Not counting against the roster are four players on the 60-day injured list -- lefty starting pitcher Austin Gomber, utility man Connor Joe, righty pitcher Scott Oberg and utility man Chris Owings.