The Kansas City Royals made a disappointing injury announcement after a game against the Minnesota Twins.
The Kansas City Royals have made a roster move involving Carlos Estevez that impacts the back end of their bullpen early in the season.
Estevez, who serves as Kansas City’s closer, entered the year as one of the team’s most reliable arms after an outstanding 2025 campaign. However, his first appearance of the new season did not go as planned, both in terms of performance and health.
The Royals announced on X after Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins that Estevez had been moved to the 15-day injured list with a left foot contusion. Right hander Steven Cruz replaced him on the roster.
The injury occurred during Estevez’s season debut when he was struck by a comebacker off the bat of Drake Baldwin. The outing itself was already difficult, as Estevez allowed six runs and recorded just one out while blowing the save. That appearance also continued a concerning trend, as his velocity appeared to be down compared to last season.
This latest development adds to what has been a rough start for the veteran reliever. It comes as a sharp contrast to his performance in 2025, when he delivered one of the best seasons of his career. After signing a two year $22.2 million contract with Kansas City in January 2025, Estevez led all of Major League Baseball with 42 saves while posting a 2.45 ERA and striking out 54 batters across 66 innings.
While Estevez has never relied solely on overpowering velocity, any continued decline in that area could impact his effectiveness. Combined with the injury, it creates some uncertainty around his role once he returns.
In the meantime, Lucas Erceg is expected to take on more opportunities in high leverage situations, including potential save chances. Erceg showed last season that he is capable of handling those responsibilities and now could step into an even larger role while Estevez is sidelined.
The Royals will hope this injured list stint is a short one. A minimum stay of 15 days would allow Estevez to return relatively quickly and reestablish himself at the back of the bullpen.
Now in his 10th MLB season, Estevez has previously pitched for the Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies before finding success in Kansas City.
For a Royals team with postseason aspirations, getting their closer healthy and back to form will be an important storyline to monitor in the coming weeks.