Joey Estes

Carlos Estévez, Kansas City Royals closer, has suffered a nightmare 2026 season marked by multiple injuries. He was sidelined from Opening Day after taking a comebacker off his left foot, resulting in a foot contusion. Upon attempting a rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha on May 6, 2026, he experienced shoulder discomfort after just two outs and 14 pitches. Subsequent diagnosis revealed a right rotator cuff strain. He was shut down from throwing for three weeks with reevaluation at the end of May. Even before the shoulder injury, Estévez showed concerning velocity drops—averaging 89.4 mph on his four-seam fastball in spring training, nearly 7 mph below his 2025 levels. His velocity continued to decline during the rehab outing (88.5 mph fastball recorded). The Royals are considering moving him to the 60-day IL to clear roster space. Mid-to-late June is the earliest realistic return date, pending successful progression through bullpen and live batting practice sessions. In 2025, Estévez was the saves leader with a 2.45 ERA and 42 saves, but 2026 has been plagued by injuries and performance concerns.