Nine and a half games out of first place in the AL Central, the Kansas City Royals' best shot at a playoff spot lies through the Wild Card. The Royals are set to begin a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at home. This weekend provides the perfect platform for Kansas City to vault themselves into one of those Wild Card positions. Before the series opener, team reporter Anne Rogers reported via X (formerly Twitter) that starting pitcher Cole Ragans will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday.
“Cole Ragans is expected to begin a rehab assignment Sunday,” posted Rogers. “He’s scheduled for two innings in Triple-A, manager Matt Quatraro said.”
The two-inning assignment in Triple-A is the next step for Ragans. If he pitches well, he'll be one step closer to Kansas City. In their bid to hunt down a playoff spot, having the former All-Star back in their starting rotation will only help. Furthermore, if the Royals do get back to the annual tournament, Ragans' experience in last year's postseason should bolster the rotation. Can Quatraro and his team return to October and make an even deeper run this time around?
Can Royals climb back into Wild Card hunt?
Currently two games behind the Seattle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot, the AL playoff field is a deep one. The Royals are in a group of four games within the Mariners. The Texas Rangers are in front of Kansas City, while the Tampa Bay Rays are also two games back. At three and a half back lie a division rival of the Royals in the Cleveland Guardians.
At the moment, Quatraro's starting staff is not only down Ragans, but also four others: staff ace Seth Lugo, veterans Bailey Falter and Alec Marsh, as well as the emerging Kris Bubic. Getting even just a couple of those arms back for a playoff run would be a great boost for Kansas City. Veteran Michael Wacha is holding down the fort, while rookies Noah Cameron and Ryan Bergert have impressed in their debut seasons. Can the Royals ride their pitching depth to a playoff bid and more? If so, then a return to the World Series could follow in the ensuing weeks.
