Cole Ragans will begin rehab assignment Sunday. Is there time for him to return?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Cole Ragans begins rehab with Triple-A Omaha after June rotator cuff strain.
- Royals weigh Cole Ragans' recovery amid injuries to starters and playoff push.
- Kansas City trails the Seattle Mariners by two games in competitive AL Wild Card race.
Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans is one step closer to returning from a left rotator cuff strain that has sidelined him since June.
Ragans, who threw a live bullpen this week, is slated for a rehab assignment Sunday. The Royals want to see him in game action to further evaluate his recovery. So, Ragans will join Triple-A Omaha this weekend against the Iowa Cubs.
The plan is to start and complete two innings.
“We know we don’t have the time to get him built up to five or six innings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said prior to Friday’s series-opener against the Minnesota Twins. “So when he feels well, we’re hopeful to get him back.”
Ragans has missed significant time. He hasn’t pitched since June 5 due to the injury and is currently on the 60-day injured list. Ragans sought multiple opinions and it was determined that he didn’t need surgery.
The Royals initially shut down Ragans for four weeks as the injury healed. Then, he began a throwing program before gradually returning to the mound. Ragans will now try to return before the regular season ends later this month.
The Royals will need his production.
KC is currently without fellow All-Star starter Seth Lugo due to low back tightness. Lugo is on the 15-day injured list and received a cortisone injection Thursday.
The Royals plan to have Lugo throwing again in a few days. In their stead, Royals rookies Noah Cameron and Ryan Bergert have stepped up. Meanwhile, fellow prospect Stephen Kolek will make another start Saturday against the Twins.
“They have the ingredients on the mound and they have the makeup we think helps to be a winning player,” Quatraro said.
The Royals are locked in a postseason race. The American League Wild Card picture features five teams vying for the third and final spot.
At the moment, the Seattle Mariners (73-67) are in the pole position. The Royals trail the Mariners by two games. The Texas Rangers (72-69) are a half-game ahead of the Royals.
The Tampa Bay Rays (71-69) share the same record as the Royals, while both are ahead of the Cleveland Guardians (69-70).
The Royals have upcoming series against the Guardians and Mariners. Both will be monumental in determining the final wild-card spot.
Ragans is hopeful to be back to lift the team. He owns a 5.18 ERA in 10 starts this season. How Ragans performs Sunday will go a long way in determining the next steps in his return.
This story was originally published September 5, 2025 at 6:16 PM with the headline "Cole Ragans will begin rehab assignment Sunday. Is there time for him to return?."
