Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans will be sidelined from throwing following stiffness in his elbow after a rehab start. Manager Matt Quatraro confirmed that Ragans “did not recover well” from his recent outing, prompting a temporary pause in his return timeline.
Ragans initially went on the injured list in early May with a left elbow impingement. He made a rehab appearance with the Triple-A Omaha on Saturday, throwing 4 1/3 innings and striking out three while maintaining his typical fastball velocity. However, post-game reports revealed lingering stiffness, mirroring the pain he experienced in his final MLB start before the injury.
The 28-year-old Ragans has struggled with recurring injuries over the past two seasons. He missed three weeks in 2023 with a groin strain, returned briefly in June, then landed on the IL again with a strained rotator cuff. Last season, he was hit by a comebacker off his throwing hand in his third start, and though he continued pitching, he eventually succumbed to elbow issues in May.
Despite normal stuff this season, Ragans’ command has been a concern. He has walked 12 batters in his first two post-injury starts and sports a 15.2% walk rate through 35 1/3 innings. His 60.4% strike percentage is a career-low, and his Location+ of 87 is well below league average.
With Ragans and Kris Bubic sidelined, the Royals have leaned on other arms in the rotation. Stephen Kolek took over for Ragans and delivered a complete-game shutout against the Mariners over the weekend. Kolek has now thrown 15 1/3 scoreless innings in his last two outings. Meanwhile, Bailey Falter and Luinder Avila have split Bubic’s spot, limiting the Red Sox to two earned runs over five innings last week.
The Royals will continue to monitor Ragans’ recovery closely. He will rest for the next few days before deciding if he can continue his rehab. The team will rely on Kolek, Falter, and Avila in the interim, with another key test coming against the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
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