Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estevez has started his 2026 season off on the wrong foot, no pun intended. An ankle contusion has forced Estevez to wear a walking boot.
He is still in the boot on Monday as the Royals evaluate his injury, via Anne Rogers of MLB.com. With an off day on Tuesday, Kansas City will then be able to decide if the right-hander requires a trip to the injured list.
Estevez has made just one appearance in 2026 thus far, and it wasn't pretty. The righty allowed four hits and six earned runs over just o.1 innings pitched. Perhaps the ankle injury was the driving factor in his struggles. Regardless, the Royals will be keeping a close eye on Estevez moving forward. He seems unlikely to be available on Monday and Kansas City continues to evaluate him though.
The closer took the MLB world by storm in his first year with the Royals. Estevez recorded a career-high, and league-leading 42 saves saves in 2025 alongside a 2.45 ERA and a 54/22 K/BB ratio. He was named to the second All-Star Game of his 10-year MLB career.
Kansas City is hopeful Estevez can return to those heights in 2026. However, the first step is for the closer to be actually healthy. Whether or not that requires an IL stint is yet to be seen, but at the very least Estevez must shed his walking boot.
When they head into their off day, the Royals will have a decision to make on their closer. But at least after seeing how he reacts to the injury on Monday, Kansas City can do what is best for Estevez and the franchise.
