Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estévez was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left foot contusion.
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Estévez, 33, was injured last Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. He was hit by a line drive in the ninth inning of the Royals’ 6-2 loss.
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The Royals evaluated Estévez earlier this week. As Estévez recovers, the plan is to continue throwing while he is sidelined.
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“He’s going to continue to throw, probably at 60-75 feet, so he doesn’t have to put too much tension on it or pressure on it, as I should say,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And then, as the symptoms resolve, he’ll get on the mound and then he’ll build up a progression. He’ll have to go out and pitch.”
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The Royals recalled right-handed pitcher Steven Cruz from Triple-A Omaha. Cruz recorded a 3.74 ERA in 47 appearances last season.
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“We really like Cruzy,” Quatraro said. “I mean, that was a really tough decision for us to send him down. We think he is a big part of this team going forward. The growth he’s had since the time we acquired him has been phenomenal.”
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Cruz can fit a variety of roles. The Royals will insert him into a reshuffled bullpen against the Minnesota Twins. It’s likely right-hander Lucas Erceg will get the first shot at potential save opportunities.
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Other late-inning candidates include John Schreiber, Alex Lange, and Matt Strahm.
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“We really like Lucas in the back end,” Quatraro said. “But if there is a huge spot in the eighth, you know, he’s going to be in there for that as well. He’s well aware of that.”
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Estévez has a chance to regain his form. He dealt with low velocity this spring — averaging 90-92 mph with his fastball — and looked out of sync. The Royals will work alongside Estévez to refine his pitching mechanics in hopes of restoring his velocity.
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“Carlos needs to pitch,” Quatraro said. “He’s a guy that likes to throw. He throws a lot, and the more games we get him in, the better he is going to be. … We’re not going to go where we want to go without him being a big part of that bullpen.”
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The Royals could utilize Estévez in low-leverage situations when he returns. If he can regain his velocity, the club will have an All-Star reliever back in the fold.
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Last season, Estévez led the majors with 42 saves.
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“I know what I can do,” Estévez said after his blown save in Atlanta. “I know my stuff. I know it’s a tough game, but at the same time, I’ve done it before. I know how to get back to that. And like I said, I’ve got to pound the strike zone and that’s gonna make it a lot harder for them.”
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For now, Cruz will help fill the void. He worked on his slider this offseason and is excited to help the Royals achieve their goal of returning to the postseason.
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“Everyone is pulling the same way,” Cruz said via a translator. “(We want to) win and make it back to the playoffs and the World Series.”
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‘Alguns detalhes deste artigo foram extraídos da seguinte fonte www.kansascity.com’
‘ O artigo anterior foi obtido e traduzido do site internacional da celebrity.land ’
