Royals' Carlos Estevez: X-rays negative on ankle
Estevez had X-rays come back negative on his left ankle after being struck by a comebacker during Saturday's loss to Atlanta, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander blew the save in his season debut, surrendering six runs on four hits and two walks in one-third of an inning. With the X-rays returning negative, the injury is now a secondary concern for the Royals and Estevez, who averaged just 91.2 mph with his fastball Saturday, down nearly five ticks from last season. The horrid outing doubled his worst performance from 2025, in which he gave up three runs. Estevez will likely have some leash as Kansas City's closer after recording 42 saves with a 2.45 ERA last year, but that leash is likely to be shorter if the velocity woes continue.
