The Kansas City Royals have been without their All-Star closer for most of 2026.
It is no secret that the Kansas City Royals bullpen has been a disaster this year. Kansas City has had its share of bad luck, with their two expected setup men heading into the season in Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm both no longer with the big-league club due to their struggles. Strahm was released while Erceg was demoted to Triple-A. The biggest loss, however, has been the unavailability of Carlos Estevez.
The Royals signed Estevez to be their closer on a two-year, $22 million deal after the 2024 season, and in 2025 he fully lived up to that contract and then some. He led the entire league in saves, converting 42 for Kansas City while posting a 2.45 ERA and 1.061 WHIP, firmly establishing himself as one of the best high-leverage arms in baseball. He earned his second career All-Star selection and kept the Royals in the hunt for the playoffs until the very end of the season.
Unfortunately, injuries have derailed his second season in Kansas City. His only appearance this year was a disaster, allowing six runs to the Braves while collecting just one out. In that game he suffered a left foot contusion that landed him on the 15-day injured list. While rehabbing, he felt tightness and discomfort in his right arm, which revealed a rotator cuff strain that required further treatment.
This was not entirely surprising considering Estevez had struggled to regain his velocity since spring training. Since the surgery he has dealt with multiple setbacks while working back, but earlier this week manager Matt Quatraro finally had an encouraging update.
"Estevez threw yesterday in Arizona, got 4 of 5 hitters out and threw well. Velo ticking up. Gonna throw again in AZ before any rehab assignment," reported Joel Penfield of KC Sports Network.
The velocity uptick is the most exciting part of Quatraro's message. Estevez is not a pitcher who relies purely on elite fastball speed, but the problem this year has been his velocity sitting so low that big-league hitters have been able to sit on everything he throws. Any upward trend in that number is meaningful.
There is not much time for Estevez to return this season, but if he does log some quality outings it would benefit a bullpen that desperately needs reliable arms. The Royals are mostly planning for 2027, and Estevez holds a team option. If he impresses down the stretch, the likelihood of that option being exercised increases considerably.
