Carlos Estévez closes his season with the Royals following surgery announcement
The season for Dominican relief pitcher Carlos Estévez with the Kansas City Royals has come to a premature end. The club confirmed that the right-handed pitcher will undergo shoulder surgery next week, marking the end of his activity on the mound for the current year and raising questions about his future with the organization.
The news was announced by manager Matt Quatraro, who explained that, after exhausting all rehabilitation protocols without obtaining the expected results, surgery has become the only possible path to treat the persistent discomfort in his right shoulder.
A frustrated recovery process
Estévez’s path in 2025 was marked by adversity from the start. After a complicated first outing at the beginning of the campaign, the Dominican was sent to the injured list in April due to a left foot contusion. What seemed to be a standard recovery period was complicated by the emergence of a right rotator cuff injury.
Despite his efforts to return, including sessions facing hitters in Arizona in late August, physical setbacks prevented his return to action. Regarding this process, Quatraro was emphatic:
He and we have exhausted the entire rehabilitation process. He has tried everything he could, and he just wasn’t responding.
Matt Quatraro, Kansas City Royals Manager
Uncertainty about the contractual future
Estévez’s situation also impacts the Royals’ financial plans. The pitcher, who arrived at the team as a key piece after leading the Major Leagues in saves the previous season, is under a contract that includes a club option for 2027 valued at 13 million dollars. According to reports, the organization is leaning toward declining that option and opting for a 2 million dollar buyout payment.
If this move is finalized, the Dominican’s stint in Kansas City would conclude with a 3.66 ERA. J.J. Picollo, the team’s general manager, expressed his regret over the player’s outcome, acknowledging the hard work Estévez put in for months to try to overcome his physical ailments.
For now, the priority for both the player and the institution is the success of the exploratory surgery, which will determine the true extent of the damage and the estimated recovery time so that the pitcher can resume his professional career in the future.
