The return of Cole Ragans from the injured list could change the entire dynamic of the American League playoff race.
Ragans, the Kansas City Royals’ opening day starter and 2024 All-Star, has been out of commission since June 5, when he left his start early after experiencing shoulder pain. It turned out the lefty fireballer had a rotator cuff strain, the same injury that later ended 2025 All-Star Kris Bubic’s season.
It’s now a race against time for Ragans to try and return in order to have a genuine impact on the playoff race. But the 27-year-old’s latest comments are certainly a step in the right direction.
After throwing two bullpens last week, with the most recent one on Friday, Ragans said over the weekend that he’s trending in the right direction.
“To get on the mound and to just feel good is a relief,” Ragans said, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. “Never dealt with a shoulder (injury) until this year, so I’m just trying to take it day by day, stay on top of my recovery and arm care. When the time comes that I can get back out there and face hitters, I’ll be ready to go.”
Rogers reported that Ragans threw 15 pitches in the first bullpen, 20 in the second. That’s clearly a long way from being built up for a major league start, and there are a lot more intermediate steps to check off.
Still, Ragans believes he’s making progress, and most importantly, he’s recovering well.
“My (second) one on Friday, I felt pretty good,” Ragans said, per Rogers. “Velo ticked up about a mile an hour harder than the first ‘pen. Felt like the mechanics were a little closer to what I want them to be. Still some work to do, obviously, but overall, recovery has been great. Felt really good the next day — no soreness, no stiffness.”
Ragans will have to progress from this, the bullpen stage, to live at-bats in practice, to a minor-league rehab stint. Those steps will take weeks, and the Royals only have another six weeks to go before the end of the regular season arrives. It’s not guaranteed the lefty will be back in 2025.
But if the Royals keep hanging around in the wild card race, even one Ragans start could prove vital. And if they somehow manage to get the lefty into October, the American League could be in serious trouble.
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