Buster Olney May 12, 2026, 07:00 AM ET Close Senior writer ESPN Magazine/ESPN.com Analyst/reporter ESPN television Author of "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" Carlos Estevez led the majors in saves last year, earning a spot on the American League All-Star team and making him seemingly a lock to nail down games for the Kansas City Royals this season. But his velocity tanked this spring, and then he got hit by a batted ball. While working his way back last month, he got hurt again, suffering a strained rotator cuff last week. "It's been a crazy first part of the year already, snowballing everything," Estevez said Sunday, standing at his locker. "It sucks. I'm not going to tell you I'm not mad. But it happens." Estevez won't throw for three more weeks, and then he's hoping to start working his way back -- and given the volatility of bullpens around the game, it's possible that he'll get another chance to close games later this year. "I have hope," he said. "I'll be fine. I just have to keep working.…