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The Kansas City Royals are going to trust All-Star closer Carlos Est\u00e9vez. Even if it means enduring a short period of ineffectiveness.<\/p>\n
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This spring, Est\u00e9vez saw his velocity capped around 88-90 mph. A recent Cactus League appearance against the Texas Rangers didn\u2019t eliminate any lingering concerns. He felt \u201cout of sync\u201d after returning from the World Baseball Classic.<\/p>\n
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The performance was staggering. Est\u00e9vez didn\u2019t allow a run but issued three walks. His velocity was down and it set off a few alarms. Est\u00e9vez did pitch better two days later against the San Francisco Giants \u2014 but there\u2019s still a ways to go.<\/p>\n
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\u201c(Est\u00e9vez) said he felt extremely out of whack,\u201d Quatraro told reporters after the Rangers game. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what it looked like. You know, we still need a little more velo to come. As he gets in sync, hopefully that is the case.\u201d<\/p>\n
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On the global stage, Est\u00e9vez pitched in one game for the Dominican Republic. The Royals aren\u2019t too worried but they would like to see better velocity numbers.<\/p>\n
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Royals general manager J.J. Picollo told The Star that Est\u00e9vez will pitch against the Rangers this week. It will be his fifth outing and puts him on a similar track to last season.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis year he\u2019ll have five outings,\u201d Picollo said. \u201cSo when you look at that, he\u2019s right where he typically has been.\u201d<\/p>\n
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And that year, Est\u00e9vez led the majors in saves and was an All-Star.<\/p>\n
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The Royals will open the 2026 season against the Atlanta Braves on Friday. The club expects to turn to Est\u00e9vez if there is a save situation with the hope he performs as usual.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe have to go on past history here, and just trust that this is how he operates,\u201d Picollo said.<\/p>\n
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