Royals Bullpen Continues to Struggle as Offseason Need Becomes Clear

After taking the first two games against the Minnesota Twins, the Kansas City Royals dropped the finale of the three-game series Thursday in a fashion they have become far too familiar with.

After a one-run, 5 2/3-inning outing from Michael Wacha, a scoreless one-third of an inning from Jose Cuas and a scoreless inning from Alex Lange, all was well with the Royals holding a two-run lead heading into the eighth inning. But that’s when a trend we’ve seen all season resurfaced.

In the top of the eighth inning, Aaron Bummer entered the game to replace Lange. After allowing a single and a walk, Bummer gave up an RBI single to left field to the Twins’ Josh Bell, pulling Minnesota within one with one out and the tying run on third.

Royals reliever Nate Pearson then came into the game for Bummer, but things didn’t get much better. Pearson hit his first batter with a pitch to load the bases, which was then followed by a two-RBI single from the Twins’ Brooks Lee to give Minnesota a one-run lead. The Twins then went on to win the game 4-3.

Kansas City’s bullpen continues to grow as a concern that needs to be addressed this offseason

Kansas City Royals pitcher Lucas Erceg (60) takes a breath before throwing a pitch in the ninth inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. The Reds won 4-3 on a walkoff hit by Blake Dunn, scoring Spencer Steer from second base in the 10th inning. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Royals currently have a bullpen ERA of 5.37, which ranks second worst in MLB, according to Statcast. Along with that, they have the fourth-most blown saves in the league with 22.

The bullpen group has been an issue all season long, as a combination of a lack of depth, underperforming arms and injuries has made this a growing concern throughout the year. While injuries have affected the entire roster, the pitching staff has been hit especially hard.

For the bullpen, the most significant injuries have been to Carlos Estévez, Nick Mears and Connor Seabold, who are all on the 60-day injured list. Estévez was only able to appear in one game, which came in the first series of the season against the Atlanta Braves. He gave up six runs in the outing, capped by a walk-off grand slam.

The rest of the initial late-inning group has simply lacked production. Lucas Erceg has had a year he would like to forget, as he holds a 6.37 ERA along with six blown saves. Matt Strahm, who was acquired this offseason with high expectations heading into the year, was designated for assignment after posting a 7.32 ERA over 35 2/3 innings.

The biggest bright spot in the bullpen has been Daniel Lynch IV, who has put together a phenomenal year. He carries a 1.96 ERA over 46 innings and has been the most reliable arm Kansas City has had out of that group.

Bolstering the bullpen is something that should be at the top of the list when it comes to the Royals’ offseason plans, as it has plagued them throughout the entire 2026 season.

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