Bullpen plans crumble as injuries and velocity issues plague the Royals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Last season, the Kansas City Royals had a solid closer, Carlos Estevez. He appeared in 67 games, compiling a 2.45 ERA and 54 strikeouts with an MLB-leading 42 saves.
And he was expected to resume his role this season with little trouble. However, that has just not been the case.
Estevez struggled in spring training, with his velocity taking a dip, and he only made one appearance during the regular season so far before he headed to the IL after taking a 103.5 mph line drive off his left foot.
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With Estevez down, the club has turned to Lucas Ecreg to handle the closing duties. And despite having six saves to his name, there are some clear concerns.
He has a bit of a ballooned ERA, sitting at 4.67, and his walk rate is quite high, especially for a high-leverage arm.
As the Royals look to survive until Estevez can return and hopefully move past his velocity issues, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller doesn't have a lot of faith in this stable of arms, ranking them 28th in his latest bullpen power rankings.
"Carlos Estevez has an MLB-best 42 saves in 2025, but lasted just seven batters before landing on the IL with a foot injury and considerable velocity concerns. Suffice it to say, this wasn't the plan for the Royals bullpen. Save for Daniel Lynch IV thriving predominantly in the seventh inning, they've struggled to piece things together without their closer."
Now, fans should be excited that Estevez is nearing his return. He is set to face hitters on Tuesday and is aiming to return sometime in May.
Hopefully, the bullpen can survive until then, pick up a few wins, and get this team out of the basement of the AL Central.
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