Royals closer Carlos Estévez suffers setback on rehab assignment: The latest
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- Carlos Estévez left his Triple‑A rehab appearance with shoulder discomfort.
- Estévez’s fastball clocked 88–90 mph and topped at 91.1 mph before he departed the game.
- The club inserted Lucas Erceg in the closer role while monitoring Estévez.
Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estévez departed his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday night with shoulder discomfort.
He recorded two outs in the sixth inning but left with the Omaha Storm Chasers training staff. It was noted that his velocity was down as well.
“He’s on his way back,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He’ll get evaluated tomorrow and get testing tomorrow as well. Just some shoulder discomfort. And talking to him on the phone, he didn’t seem overly concerned. He just didn’t want to push through it. And you know, it was his first outing.”
Estévez has been sidelined with a left foot contusion. He was drilled by a line drive in the Royals’ opening series against the Atlanta Braves. Since then, he has rehabbed the injury and worked to build his velocity.
In recent weeks, Estévez threw a handful of bullpens and faced live hitters. The reports were promising as his velocity was ticking up. However, the Royals wanted to see Estévez in game action.
On Wednesday, Estévez didn’t have his velocity. His fastball sat around 88-90 mph and maxed out at 91.1 mph.
There were varying concerns with his velocity this spring. Estévez admittedly starts slow in spring training, but he never showed gradual improvement.
He also pitched for the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The Royals will continue to monitor Estévez moving forward. In his stead, the club has inserted Lucas Erceg in the closer role.
Erceg has responded with 10 saves; he trails San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller (11) for the MLB lead.
The Royals hope Estévez can return soon. He is a big part of their bullpen and a veteran leader in the clubhouse.
Last season, Estévez was an All-Star and led the majors with 42 saves. He offers the coaching staff flexibility when healthy. For now, the concern is with his shoulder and velocity as he tries to return this season.
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 11:38 PM with the headline "Royals closer Carlos Estévez suffers setback on rehab assignment: The latest."
