Royals’ Cole Ragans nears return with a Triple-A rehab start after elbow injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans is expected to make a rehab start at Triple-A Omaha on Saturday as he works his way back from an elbow injury, the team announced on Friday.

The plan is to have him throw four or five innings, or 60 to 65 pitches.

Ragans was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 8 with what the team described as a left elbow impingement.

He was pulled from a game against Cleveland on May 6 after throwing 58 pitches in three scoreless innings because of left triceps and elbow soreness.

Ragans is 1-4 with a 4.84 ERA this season.

Ragans had Tommy John surgery in March 2018 while in the Texas minor league system, then tore the grafted ligament during his rehabilitation and had a second Tommy John in May 2019. He returned to the major leagues in August 2022.

He was traded to Kansas City in August 2023 and became a first-time All-Star in 2024, going 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 32 starts. He was sidelined between June 5 and Sept. 17 last year because of a strained left rotator cuff.

The team also said that reliever Carlos Estévez has a right rotator cuff strain after he experienced shoulder discomfort during a rehab appearance on Wednesday and will be shut down for three weeks. Estévez remains on the 15-day IL.

The Royals also recalled infielder Tyler Tolbert from Triple-A Omaha and designated catcher Elias Díaz for assignment.