Scouting Report: Esteban Quiroz

Summary

Carlos Estévez, the Kansas City Royals' closer, has endured a nightmare 2026 season marked by multiple injuries. He suffered a left foot contusion from a line drive on Opening Day, sidelining him for over a month. Upon beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha, he developed a rotator cuff strain after just 14 pitches and two outs, forcing him to be shut down from throwing for three weeks with reevaluation at the end of May. A mid-to-late June return is the earliest realistic target. Beyond injuries, Estévez has shown significant velocity decline—averaging 89.4 mph in spring training (nearly 7 mph below his 2025 level of 95.9 mph) and struggling to reach 91 mph even during rehab. His 2026 season debut was disastrous, featuring a blown save with six runs allowed including a walk-off grand slam against Atlanta.