Carlos Estévez Fantasy Stats

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder) suffered a setback with his shoulder after throwing a bullpen session on June 27. He received an injection on Wednesday and will be shut down for the rest of the week before being re-evaluated, according to MLB.com. Estevez initially went on the 15-day injured list on April 1 with a left-foot contusion, but he suffered a right rotator-cuff strain while rehabbing and was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 15. The 33-year-old veteran Dominican hurler only made one appearance this year for the Royals before getting injured, and he allowed six earned runs in just one-third of an inning. Estevez had a career- and league-high 42 saves in his first season with the Royals in 2025, but in addition to his injuries this year, his velocity was noticeably down in spring training. He easily has the most closing experience of anyone in KC's bullpen, but it could be a choppy ride for fantasy managers who are stashing him whenever he returns in the second half of 2026. Estevez is rostered in only 39% of Yahoo leagues now.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder) suffered a shoulder injury while rehabbing his foot on May 6. He threw a bullpen session on June 27, but his right shoulder didn't feel great, so the Royals will re-evaluate him in the coming days, according to MLB.com. Estevez initially went on the 15-day injured list on April 1 with a foot injury, but he was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 15 with a right rotator-cuff strain in his shoulder. It's unclear exactly what is wrong with the 33-year-old Dominican veteran now, but he's unlikely to come off the IL to rejoin the Royals' bullpen before the All-Star break next month, and depending on what the team finds this week, Estevez could be out well into the second half of the season. Right-hander Lucas Erceg was the next man up for saves in KC with Estevez hurt early in April. Erceg has 12 saves, but he has since been booted from the closer's role in favor of Alex Lange, who has converted all seven of his save opportunities in June. It's becoming harder to justify holding Estevez in fantasy baseball leagues as we near the end of the first half. He's currently rostered in 42% of Yahoo leagues.

The Kansas City Royals announced that they have transferred relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list. It's a procedural move for the team, as Estevez has been out since late March and remains eligible to return at any time. The veteran right-hander first hit the IL with a foot injury, but then suffered a rotator cuff strain during a rehab appearance in early May. Estevez was shelled in his lone outing of 2026, allowing six earned runs while recording just one out. His average fastball velocity in that appearance was 91.3 miles per hour, a significant drop-off from his average fastball velocity of 96.1 mph in 2025. Estevez was a highly valuable fantasy closer in 2025, pitching to a 2.45 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with 54 strikeouts and 42 saves across 66 innings. Kansas City has had major difficulty filling the ninth-inning role this season, so Estevez could immediately take over as the closer upon his return. However, the 33-year-old currently remains without a firm return timetable and has yet to progress to throwing off a mound.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (shoulder) has begun throwing from flat ground and has ramped up both the intensity and volume of his work. While there have been no reports regarding the total number of throws or the distance involved, it is nonetheless a positive sign for a pitcher who has missed most of the season with a right rotator cuff strain. There is no timetable for his return, nor is it known what the next steps in his recovery will be, but it is evident that the 33-year-old is on the mend and moving in the right direction. The Royals will likely continue to bring him along slowly, given the nature of the injury and concerns surrounding his velocity during Spring Training. When he does return, there is no guarantee he will reclaim the role of the team's closer, despite the uncertainty developing at the back end of the bullpen between Lucas Erceg and Alex Lange.

Kansas City Royals veteran right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder) suffered a right rotator-cuff strain while rehabbing a foot injury on May 6, but he resumed playing catch on Wednesday, May 27, according to MLB.com. Estevez got bombed for four runs in just one-third of an inning against the Atlanta Braves in his season debut on March 28 and has been on the 15-day injured list ever since. In addition to a foot injury he suffered in that outing, Estevez was working through a noticeable dip in velocity, which was an issue in spring training as well. It's positive news that the 33-year-old is throwing again, but he has a ways to go before he'll be an option late in games for the Royals again, and he might not return until early July. Despite the disappointing season so far, his track record (124 career saves) and Lucas Erceg's struggles in the ninth inning in his absence make him a stash candidate for saves-needy fantasy managers in deeper leagues. Estevez is rostered in half of Yahoo leagues currently.

Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said on Tuesday that right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (foot, shoulder) was scheduled to see the team doctor, and if all goes well, he could be cleared to resume throwing again, according to Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. The 33-year-old veteran was pummeled for four runs in one-third of an inning in his 2026 season debut and then landed on the 15-day injured list with a left-foot contusion on April 1. While rehabbing, Estevez suffered a rotator-cuff strain in his right shoulder, pushing his return back even further for the Royals' bullpen. He has been trending in the right direction of late, but Estevez still has some boxes to check and will need to go on another minor-league rehab assignment before being reinstated from the IL. Lucas Erceg has been KC's primary closer with Estevez out, but he blew yet another save on Monday in a loss to the New York Yankees and could be demoted to a setup role once Estevez returns. For that reason alone, Estevez is worth stashing in deeper fantasy leagues for saves-needy managers. He's rostered in half of Yahoo leagues right now.

Kansas City Royals veteran right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez's (foot, shoulder) velocity was noticeably down in spring training, and then he allowed six earned runs on four hits in just one-third of an inning before being placed on the 15-day injured list with a foot injury. While rehabbing in the minors and working on his mechanics, Estevez suffered a rotator-cuff strain in his right shoulder, pushing his return back even further. Despite his rough 2026 season so far, though, he is rostered in exactly half of Yahoo leagues because of the potential for him to be reinstated as KC's primary closer when he returns to full health. It's unclear when Estevez might come off the IL, but current closer Lucas Erceg blew his fourth save of the season and was hit with his second loss in the 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Monday. Fantasy managers desperate for saves with room on their IL should consider stashing Estevez, who had a league-leading 42 saves in his first year with the Royals in 2025.

Kansas City Royals right-hander Carlos Estevez (shoulder) has had a miserable start to his 2026 season. The 33-year-old gave up six earned runs in his first outing of the year in late March before hitting the injured list with a foot injury. Then, while working his way back, Estevez was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain in early May and is currently in the midst of a three-week shutdown from throwing. At this point, a return in mid-to-late June appears to be the best-case scenario for Estevez. Still, Estevez is coming off a 42-save season in 2025 and could be worth monitoring on the waiver wire in deeper leagues. While Royals right-hander Lucas Erceg has pitched to a 3.26 ERA with 11 saves in Estevez's absence, Erceg has also blown three saves and owns a highly unimpressive 5% K-BB rate. Estevez is not a lock to immediately reclaim the ninth-inning role in Kansas City when he returns, but he may still have some appeal as a stash candidate off the waiver wire.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Carlos Estevez (shoulder) will be shut down for the next three weeks, according to manager Matt Quatraro. Estevez was removed early during his rehab outing on Wednesday after displaying reduced velocity. The right-hander was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain on Thursday. Estevez won't throw for three weeks, and then will hopefully begin a rehab assignment after that. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Estevez to be back in the mix for at least a month or so. With that being said, Lucas Erceg should continue to hold down the full-time closer role in Kansas City.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez (shoulder, foot) left his minor-league rehab outing on Wednesday early at Triple-A Omaha with right-shoulder discomfort, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Estevez recorded two outs, but his velocity was down, and he exited after the second out when a trainer came to visit with him. Estevez has been on the 15-day injured list since he was hit by a comebacker on his left foot after his first appearance of the season. The 33-year-old Dominican veteran and two-time All-Star allowed six earned runs in one-third of an inning of work before being hit in the foot, and his velocity was noticeably down in spring training as well. Estevez might have recovered from his foot injury, but now he has shoulder concerns and could need to restart a rehab assignment. It's becoming harder to justify stashing Estevez in fantasy leagues, and Lucas Erceg's run as KC's primary closer could be extended, depending on how serious Estevez's shoulder injury is. Estevez is currently rostered in 64% of Yahoo leagues.