Lucas Erceg Fantasy Stats

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg appears to have taken over as the team's closer for the time being. Carlos Estevez (ankle) opened the season in the closer role, but he allowed six runs over 0.1 innings on Saturday and blew the save along the way. He also suffered an ankle contusion during the loss. Between the poor performance and the injury, Estevez has quickly worked his way out of the closer role. Erceg has taken his place, and the 30-year-old stepped up by earning the save in Sunday's win over the Atlanta Braves. He has yet to allow an earned run through two innings, and his fastball velocity has jumped to a career-high mark of 98.9 mph. Erceg's closer role isn't as safe as some of the other prominent relievers in baseball, but it's safe to say that it's his job to lose at this point. The right-hander has legitimate streaming appeal in most fantasy leagues as he continues to handle save situations.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg was primarily utilized as a setup man in 2025, posting a 2.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 48 strikeouts, eight wins, and two saves across 61 1/3 innings (61 games). However, Royals closer Carlos Estevez (ankle) allowed six earned runs while recording just one out in his first appearance of the 2026 season on Saturday. Estevez also allowed three home runs and four walks in five innings pitched in Spring Training, and he's currently nursing an ankle injury. Royals manager Matt Quatraro alluded to using Estevez in lower-leverage situations for the time being, which could open the door for Erceg to take over as Kansas City's primary closer. Erceg recorded 14 saves and a 28.5% strikeout rate across 61 2/3 innings split between the Athletics and Royals in 2024. He profiles as a priority waiver-wire target in any fantasy league where he is not currently roster.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg (shoulder) has been throwing off the mound in camp, according to Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star. Erceg should be fully healthy for Opening Day in late March after he was shut down in mid-September last year due to a right-shoulder impingement. The Royals' setup man finished his first full year in KC in 2025 with an 8-4 record, career-best 2.64 ERA (3.49 FIP), 1.17 WHIP, two saves, 22 holds, 48 strikeouts, and 18 walks in 61 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. The 30-year-old had a career-high 14 saves with the Athletics and Royals in 2024, and he saw a huge dip in strikeout rate from 28.5% to a career-low 19.3% last year. Injuries -- he also dealt with back and foot issues -- may have been the reason for his drop in K rate and velocity. With better health in 2026, Erceg could bounce back in the strikeout department while being a valuable contributor in holds leagues.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg (back) is on track to rejoin the team on Wednesday, manager Matt Quatraro announced. Erceg has been on the 15-day injured list since May 27 with a low back strain, but he has been able to get through his rehab without incident. He threw a perfect inning for Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. The 30-year-old was a great source of holds before he landed on the shelf, picking up 13. He also pitched to an excellent 1.96 ERA (3.23 xERA) with 18:3 K:BB and a career-best 53.3% ground-ball rate over a 23-inning span.

The Kansas City Royals announced on Friday that they placed right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg (back) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 27) with a lower-back strain and reinstated right-hander Seth Lugo (finger) from the 15-day IL in a corresponding move. Erceg will head to the shelf after having not appeared since May 24. If the 30-year-old veteran is able to recover quickly, he could return to KC's bullpen as early as June 12. Although Erceg has only one save on the season, the former second-rounder has been the club's top late-inning setup man in front of closer Carlos Estevez, posting a sharp 1.96 ERA (3.42 FIP) and 0.74 WHIP with 18 strikeouts and only three walks in 23 innings of relief in his first full season with the Royals. In his absence, the Royals will lean more on Daniel Lynch IV and John Schreiber in setup roles.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg (foot) returned to action on Tuesday evening during their victory over the Colorado Rockies. Erceg logged a scoreless frame in the eighth inning. He did not allow a baserunner en route to picking up his seventh hold of the season. Erceg has been held out of action since last Friday after taking a comebacker on his left foot. However, the right-hander was able to avoid a lengthy absence. The 28-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, operating as the setup man in Kansas City, logging eight 1/3 innings to the tune of a 1.08 ERA with a stellar 0.48 WHIP. During the stint, he has held a 5:1 K:BB and tallied seven holds. Given his role as the setup man, he carries high value in formats that reward holds. In addition, the Menlo product could eventually earn savings opportunities if Carlos Estevez were to struggle over an extended period.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg (foot) was removed from Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. Erceg was helped off the field after getting hit on his left foot by a comebacker. It was an 109-mph line drive off the bat of Riley Greene. The expectation is that Erceg will undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the injury. Fantasy managers will have to check back for another update. Hopefully Erceg doesn't miss much time as he's an important piece to this Royals bullpen.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg pitched a perfect eighth inning to help the Royals emerge from Thursday afternoon's matchup with Minnesota with a 3-2 victory. Erceg took over in the top of the eighth after the Royals rallied for two runs in the seventh to take the lead on a sacrifice fly from Bobby Witt Jr. Erceg made the narrow lead stand up by getting three straight groundouts and handing the lead over to Carlos Estevez to close it out. The hold was Erceg's fifth of the season, and the 29-year-old righty has given up just two hits and no runs in 6 1/3 innings across seven appearances this season, with a total of four strikeouts. He'll continue to be a high-leverage setup option for the Royals, who head to Cleveland on Friday to start a series against the Guardians.

According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, the Kansas City Royals will not have "defined" bullpen roles at the start of the season. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro noted that both Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg will have opportunities to close at the start of the season. Earlier this week, the Royals signed Estevez to a two-year contract worth $20.2 million. Last season, the 32-year-old tallied 26 saves with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP across 55 innings. Lucas Erceg operated as the closer down the stretch for Kansas City last season and tallied 14 saves with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. The 29-year-old struck out 72 batters across 61 2/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their progress during spring training. However, it seems the Royals may opt to use the "hot hand" in the ninth inning, which can hinder both of their fantasy outlooks for the upcoming season.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg (hand) is likely going to miss a few days after taking a comebacker off his right hand during Thursday's game. The right-hander is considered as day-to-day as he's still dealing with soreness and swelling in his hand. At least Erceg didn't suffer a serious injury and isn't expected to miss a lengthy amount of time. In the meantime, James McArthur will likely step into the closer role for the next few days. He could have some streaming appeal to fantasy managers in category leagues.