KC Royals reliever Carlos Estevez frustrated by injuries

Frustration is mounting for Royals reliever Carlos Estevez.

The team announced this week that Estevez has a right rotator cuff strain after experiencing shoulder discomfort in his first rehab assignment Wednesday.

Estevez will be shut down for the next three weeks.

“It’s been a crazy first part of the year already, snowballing everything,” Estevez said before Sunday’s game. “It sucks. I’m not going to tell you I’m not mad. But it happens. I’ve been on a long run of being healthy. Knock on wood. Hopefully, this is the only thing.”

Coming off a season in which he led the majors in saves with 42, made the All-Star team for the second time in his 10-year career and pitched a scoreless inning for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, Estevez got off to a lousy start this season for the Royals.

His velocity had faltered, and in his first — and so far, only — appearance for the Royals this season, he coughed up a ninth-inning lead in a loss to the Atlanta Braves on March 28. In that game, Estevez took a comebacker off his left foot.

Estevez went to the injured list, and the Royals looked to get back their closer soon after sending him on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha last week.

Leading up to the rehab stint, Estevez said he had thrown bullpens and faced hitters at the Royals’ complex in Arizona.

“I was feeling great,” Estevez said.

Then came his stint for the Storm Chasers in Indianapolis. He faced three batters, retiring two and walking one. But problems arose.

“It was the second or third fastball, and I thought, ‘That didn’t feel good,’” Estevez said. “That’s not normal.”

He threw a few more pitches and the pain continued. Estevez said he touched 94 mph with his fastball in Arizona.

“I was feeling more like myself,” he said.

That’s the goal now, for Estevez to regain health and the form that made him one of baseball’s top closers in 2025. He’s pointing to the second half of the season to return at full strength.

“I’ll be fine,” Estevez said. “I just have to keep working. I’ll be back, right on time, ready for the playoff hunt.”