Lucas Erceg Fantasy Stats

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg picked up his third save of the season on Monday, pitching a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout in his team's 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians. Across 4 2/3 innings pitched in 2026, the 30-year-old has allowed five hits, two earned runs, and two walks while recording three strikeouts. While Erceg's numbers don't scream dominance, he has been effective since taking over the Kansas City closer job from Carlos Estevez (foot). Estevez is currently on the 15-day injured list with a foot injury that is not expected to cause him to miss significant time. However, Estevez struggled mightily in both Spring Training and his lone 2026 regular season appearance before being placed on the IL. Erceg profiles as a must-start reliever in the short term for fantasy managers, and could end up holding the ninth-inning role in Kansas City for the remainder of the year.

Kansas City Royals reliever Lucas Erceg has converted both save opportunities while posting a 1.13 WHIP and one strikeout across 2 2/3 scoreless innings in 2026. The Royals placed closer Carlos Estevez (foot) on the 15-day injured list with a foot contusion. Estevez had velocity concerns heading into the year and was lit up for six earned runs in only one appearance this season. With Estevez on the injured list, Erceg has locked down Kansas City's closer role and becomes a must-add off the waiver wire for fantasy managers searching for saves. The 30-year-old was terrific last season, owning a 2.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 48:18 K :BB with two saves and 23 holds over 61 1/3 innings for the Royals last season. Erceg is rostered in 51% of Yahoo Fantasy leagues and is currently third on RotoBaller's Week 2 waiver wire rankings.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Lucas Erceg earned his second save of the season on Wednesday night by closing out the Twins in the Royals' 13-9 win at Kauffman Stadium. Erceg didn't start the ninth inning, since his team had a seven-run lead, but after Bailey Falter allowed three runs, bringing the tying run to the on-deck circle, Erceg shut down the rally by retiring Austin Martin and James Outman. Erceg has a hold and two saves in his three games this season, allowing two hits but no runs with one strikeout. He should be secure in his role as the Royals' closer in the short-term while Carlos Est vez (foot) is on the 15-day injured list. Estevez suffered a drop in velocity and struggled early this season after a career-high 42 saves last year. At least for now, the job is Erceg's to claim, making him a great early-season snag from the waiver wire if you're searching for saves.

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.