Kansas City Royals All-Star closer Carlos Estevez, who led the majors with 42 saves last season, has been placed on the injured list with a left foot contusion, the team announced Wednesday.
Estevez, who struggled with lower velocity during spring training, took a line drive off his foot in the ninth inning of Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Braves. He is eligible to come off the IL on April 14.
Lucas Erceg could see the bulk of save opportunities while Estevez is out, with John Schreiber also factoring into high-leverage situations.
In a related roster move, the Royals brought up reliever Steven Cruz from Triple-A Omaha.
