No playoffs for Almonte, but he helped Tribe

DETROIT — Abraham Almonte wanted his season to end with a party. The Indians outfielder got his wish on Monday night, when Cleveland celebrated its American League Central championship in a Comerica Park clubhouse that still has the faint smell of champagne lingering two days later.

For five more days, Almonte can continue to enjoy this moment with his teammates. When Cleveland advances to its AL Division Series, though, he will not be eligible to participate in any postseason games. That is the last remaining part of his punishment, which included an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.

“It feels a little hard, because you know you want to be there for your guys,” Almonte said. “You want to keep helping your team as much as possible. It’s a hard feeling, but like I always say, it’s not something that I can control. I just have to keep doing what I have to do for these last five games and after that, support my team.”

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Almonte, who was suspended during Spring Training, was activated for the Indians on July 3 in Toronto. Since then, the outfielder has done his part within Cleveland’s platoon-based outfield, helping the team make up for …

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