Erceg picked up the save in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Guardians, issuing one walk with one strikeout in a scoreless and hitless ninth inning.
Erceg matched David Bednar with his AL-best 10th save, and Erceg has now gone seven consecutive outings without allowing a run. He's also surrendered just one hit during that span. Even with Carlos Estevez (foot) cleared for rehab games and nearing a return, Erceg seems to have a firm grasp on closer duties in Kansas City. He owns a 3.52 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 14:11 K:BB across 15.1 innings.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Secures ninth save
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Erceg earned the save in Saturday's 3-2 extra-inning win over the Mariners, striking out two in a perfect 10th inning.
Erceg was called in after the Royals took the lead in the top of the 10th inning and slammed the door on 17 pitches. It marked back-to-back clean appearances for the 31-year-old, who has now gone six straight outings without allowing an earned run. On the year, he's 9-for-11 in save chances with a 3.77 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 13:10 K:BB across 14.1 innings.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Converts eighth save
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Erceg struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Friday's 7-6 win over the Mariners.
Erceg has settled back in after back-to-back blown saves in mid-April. He's allowed just one unearned run over his last five innings, picking up three saves and two wins over five appearances in that span. For the season, the right-hander has a 4.05 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 11:10 K:BB with eight saves and a hold over 13.1 innings. Erceg continues to fill in as the Royals' primary closer while Carlos Estevez (foot) works his way back to full health.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Notches extra-inning save
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Erceg picked up a save against the Athletics on Tuesday, allowing one hit, issuing one walk and striking out one batter over one scoreless inning.
The game was tied 1-1 after nine frames, but Kansas City was able to score three runs in the top of the 10th to give Erceg the ball with a decent cushion. The right-hander didn't exactly cruise -- he retired the first two batters he faced before issuing a walk and giving up an infield single to load the bases and bring the winning run to the plate for the A's. However, Erceg was able to get Darell Hernaiz to line out to second base to end the contest. Erceg has gone 7-for-9 in save opportunities this season despite an unexciting 4.38 ERA and 10:10 K:BB through 12.1 frames, giving Kansas City a mostly reliable closer in the wake of Carlos Estevez landing on the IL due to a foot injury after just one appearance. Estevez is reportedly nearing a rehab assignment and could be back in early May, but it remains to be seen if he'll retake the closer role upon his return.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Picks up sixth save Friday
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Erceg earned the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Angels, surrendering one walk with two strikeouts in a hitless and scoreless ninth inning.
Erceg has had a couple rough outings this month, blowing a pair of saves while allowing multiple runs two times in nine appearances, but he's now had back-to-back clean games and is tied for fifth in the majors with his six saves. Erceg has a 5.23 ERA and 7:8 K:BB across 10.1 innings.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Blows save Thursday
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Erceg (0-1) blew the save and took the loss Thursday against the Tigers. He allowed three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning.
Erceg entered the ninth inning with a two-run lead but failed to secure the victory, as a two-out double from Riley Greene tied the game at 9-9 before Colt Keith delivered a walk-off single. Erceg had converted each of his first five save opportunities prior to Thursday, but this outing bloated his ERA from 2.70 to 6.14 and his WHIP from 1.05 to 1.50 WHIP across 7.1 innings and eight appearances. The 30-year-old stepped into the closer role after Carlos Estevez (foot) was placed on the injured list following his season debut, but with the incumbent expected to begin a rehab assignment soon, Erceg's time filling the ninth-inning role may not last much longer.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Collects fifth save of 2026
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Erceg earned his fifth save the season in Saturday's 2-0 win over the White Sox, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.
Erceg was brought out for the ninth to protect the Royals' two-run lead, and he needed only 12 pitches (seven strikes) to close things out for Kansas City. He is up to five saves on the year, which is tied with David Bednar and Jhoan Duran for most in the majors. Erceg has a 2.70 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 6.2 innings to open the 2026 campaign. He may not be available for Sunday's series finale, given that he pitched both Friday and Saturday.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Cleans up mess for save
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Erceg retired both batters he faced to earn the save in Wednesday's 13-9 win over the Twins.
Bailey Falter took the mound for the ninth inning when the Royals were ahead by seven runs, but he made a mess of the low-leverage spot. Erceg came in with two on and one out and worked out of trouble for his second save of the season. The right-hander is a must-have in fantasy after Carlos Estevez (foot) landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday. Working primarily as a setup man in 2025, Erceg pitched to a 2.64 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 48:18 K:BB while adding two saves and 23 holds over 61.1 innings. He's shown better strikeout stuff than that in previous years, and if he pitches well in Estevez's absence, Erceg could keep the closer role for most of the season. He already has two saves and a hold over three appearances this year.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Scoreless frame in spring debut
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Erceg (shoulder) allowed no hits or walks across a scoreless inning in Tuesday's exhibition win over Team Cuba. He struck out one.
Erceg made his first appearance of the spring and didn't show any lingering effects from the right shoulder impingement that ended his 2025 season early, an encouraging sign for his health moving forward. The right-hander posted a 2.64 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with 22 holds across 61.1 innings last season, though a diminished 7.0 K/9 and elevated 3.49 FIP are worth noting. Erceg is expected to serve as the primary setup man to Carlos Estevez and could see opportunities in the ninth inning if Estevez falters.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Throwing off mound in Royals camp
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Erceg (shoulder) is throwing off the mound in Royals camp, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.
Erceg's 2025 season ended in mid-September due to a right shoulder impingement, but he doesn't seem to have any restrictions in the early stages of spring training. The reliever collected a 2.64 ERA and 22 holds last season but saw a year-over-year drop in strikeout rate from 28.5 percent to 19.3 percent. As long as he's healthy, Erceg should produce more swing and miss in 2026 and will serve as a setup man ahead of closer Carlos Estevez.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Aims for clearance to throw
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Erceg (shoulder) will undergo imaging Monday in hopes of being cleared to begin a throwing program, MLB.com reports.
Erceg landed on the 15-day injured list in mid-September due to a right shoulder impingement. As long as scans Monday come back clean, the reliever should have a normal offseason. Erceg notched two saves and 22 holds for the Royals in 2025 and is slated to enter the 2026 campaign in a setup role.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Trending toward Wednesday return
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Manager Matt Quatraro said Tuesday that Erceg (back) is expected to return from the injured list Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
A lower-back strain forced Erceg onto the injured list at the end of May, but after firing a shutout inning in a rehab game Sunday, the 30-year-old righty appears to be trending toward a minimum-length stay. Once healthy, he figures to slide right back into his usual role as Kansas City's primary setup man.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Rehab assignment looming
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Erceg (back) threw live batting practice Friday and is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Sunday, MLB.com reports.
Erceg was placed on the injured list May 30, retroactive to May 27, making him eligible to return June 12 against the Yankees. Prior to hitting the shelf, the 30-year-old was in the midst of a strong season, recording a 1.96 ERA and 0.74 WHIP with 13 holds over 23 innings. Barring any setbacks during his rehab assignment, the right-hander should return to his setup role with the Royals in the near future.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Battling illness
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Erceg was unavailable for Wednesday's game against the Reds due to an illness, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Erceg's illness helps explain why he hasn't pitched since Saturday, especially since the Royals led by only two runs entering the eighth inning of Wednesday's contest but turned to John Schreiber rather than Erceg. The 30-year-old righty will have an extra day to recover during Kansas City's day off Thursday and could be back in action for the start of the weekend series against Detroit.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Serves up two-run walk-off homer
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Erceg (1-1) took the loss in Friday's 3-1 loss to Minnesota after allowing two runs on two hits in the ninth inning. He struck out one.
Although it was not a save situation in a tie game, Erceg gave up a pair of runs -- on a two-run walk-off homer by Ty France -- in his second straight outing. Because he had surrendered a lone run across his first 21 outings of the campaign, the hard-throwing right-hander still has a strong 2.05 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 17:3 K:BB through 23 appearances on the season despite his past two performances. Erceg entered Friday with an MLB-high 13 holds, and he should remain one of Kansas City's top setup men behind closer Carlos Estevez.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: X-rays negative
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X-rays on Erceg's left foot came back negative after his removal from Friday's game against Detroit.
Erceg wasn't able to walk off the field by himself after getting hit by a 109-mph comebacker in the seventh inning of Friday's contest, but it seems he escaped the incident with only a bruise. He can be considered day-to-day, though the Royals may stay away from using him out of the bullpen until his foot has time to recover.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Records third hold
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Erceg threw a perfect inning while striking out two Sunday against Baltimore to record his third hold of the season.
Erceg has had a strong start to the season with 4.1 scoreless innings and a 3:0 K:BB. He's been working as the primary setup man to Carlos Estevez, though he could also get an occasional save chance.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Snags 14th save
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Erceg earned the save in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Nationals, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.
Erceg's now converted his last six save opportunities, allowing just one earned run while striking out 13 over 10.2 innings in that span. The 29-year-old right-hander's ERA is down to 3.36 with a 1.05 WHIP and 72:16 K:BB across 61.2 innings between the A's and Royals this season.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Secures save in extras
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Erceg picked up the save Tuesday against the Nationals, pitching a clean inning with two strikeouts.
The Kansas City right-hander made quick work of Washington in the bottom of the tenth inning, firing nine strikes out of his 12 total pitches. Since joining the Royals on July 31, Erceg has been a stalwart, collecting nine saves while pitching to a 3.13 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 29:3 K:BB across 23 innings. Overall, he now sports a 3.47 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 70:16 K:BB with 12 saves over 59.2 total innings this season.
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Royals' Lucas Erceg: Takes extra-inning loss
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Erceg (2-6) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out two over 1.2 innings, taking the extra-inning loss versus the Tigers on Tuesday.
Erceg's six-inning scoreless streak came to an end as he faltered in the 10th inning after he kept the game tied in the ninth. He also ended August in rough form, but he's generally brought some stability to the Royals' bullpen since they acquired him from the Athletics. For the year, Erceg is at a 3.53 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 68:16 K:BB while earning 11 saves, 18 holds and five blown saves over 58.2 innings.
