When will the Royals’ rotation return to normal? Here’s the latest injury update
The Kansas City Royals are dealing with a rash of injuries within their pitching staff.
The club is without starters Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo. The All-Star duo landed on the 15-day injured list last week. Ragans is sidelined with a left groin strain and Lugo has right middle finger inflammation.
The Royals have relied on top pitching prospect Noah Cameron and a cast of relievers to cover their most recent starts. Cameron has proved he belongs in the big leagues and the Royals coaches praised the bullpen in Wednesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
So how soon will Ragans and Lugo return? Both were placed on the 15-day injured list on May 17 and are eligible to return beginning next week. Lugo will be eligible May 29, due to his injury stint being retroactive to May 14. Ragans will be eligible on June 1.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro provided more insight on their injuries Friday.
“Seth threw off the mound (Friday) and felt good,” Quatraro said. “You know, as far as we can tell right now, things are on track for him to come back on or around his scheduled day.”
Lugo has a 3.02 ERA in nine starts. He felt discomfort in his last start against the Boston Red Sox on May 11 at Kauffman Stadium. Later, Lugo said he believes the injury stemmed from compensating for a blister on his right hand.
The Royals said they’d take a cautious approach. If Lugo is deemed ready, he could be in line to return ahead of a home series against the Detroit Tigers that begins May 30.
Ragans is still working through his groin strain. Earlier this season, he missed a start against the Tampa Bay Rays due to the injury. The Royals continue to monitor his progress and there are some encouraging signs.
“Cole is also doing great,” Quatraro said. “He’s pushing it and throwing 100% flat ground. He’ll get off the mound here I believe (Saturday) or Sunday, one of the two, and give it a good test.”
Ragans has a 4.53 ERA in 45 ⅔ innings this season. He posted 72 strikeouts and just 13 walks in his nine starts.
This story was originally published May 24, 2025 at 12:41 PM with the headline "When will the Royals’ rotation return to normal? Here’s the latest injury update."
