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The Kansas City Royals have been dying for any bit of good news in recent weeks. They are 4-9 in their last 14 games, 5.5 games out of the Wild Card, and 14 games behind in the AL Central. But on Sunday, they finally heard something good on their ace. Royals starter Cole Ragans has been sidelined with a rotator cuff injury for over a month but will begin throwing on Monday.
“Injury update on Cole Ragans: He had his follow-up MRI and received positive results, manager Matt Quatraro said. The plan is for Ragans to begin throwing again tomorrow. Still, a ways to go, but good first step,” Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported.
Ragans was one of the best pitchers in the American League in 2024, making the All-Star Game and finishing fourth in Cy Young voting. But 2025 was not as kind to him, with a 5.18 ERA in ten starts before the injury. His last three starts were particularly rough, with 13 runs allowed in 13 innings.
Ragans' last start for the Royals was on June 5, in the second game of a doubleheader against the St Louis Cardinals. KC was 33-30 after that win but has won just nine games since. The AL Central, outside of the Tigers, has been poor in that stretch as well. But it all may be too little, too late for the Royals.
The Royals finish the first half with two home series, first against the Pittsburgh Pirates and then against the New York Mets. They need to go into the All-Star Break on a hot streak to have any chance at making the playoffs. If they can poke over .500 and get Ragans back all before August, Kansas City could be a dangerous team down the stretch in the AL.
The Royals and Arizona Diamondbacks finish their series in Arizona at 4:10 p.m. on Sunday.
