Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) will return from the 60-day injured list to start against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday, Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star reports. It will be the first start in the bigs since June 5 for Ragans, who has missed three-plus months with a strained rotator cuff. Ragans made three minor-league rehab starts, including two with Triple-A Omaha, and threw 56 pitches over 3 2/3 innings in his final appearance on Sept. 12. Considering his pitch count in the minors, the 27-year-old may not be stretched out enough to go deep into games yet. Regardless, he'll look to improve on the surprisingly poor 5.18 ERA he has logged in 48 2/3 innings with the Royals this season. With 76:16 K:BB and a 2.47 FIP, Ragans would have been an obvious candidate for positive regression had he been healthy over the past three months.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (shoulder) threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings during a rehab start on Friday night for Triple-A Omaha. Overall, he allowed just three batters to get on base, and he tossed 56 pitches overall, with 34 of them being thrown for strikes. This is his second straight solid rehab outing, as he continues to ramp up in an attempt to pitch again for the Royals before the end of the season. He will likely need at least one more start before possibly returning shortly after that. There is a chance that he can provide fantasy players with two starts before the season ends, making him someone to stash for the stretch run.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Sunday, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Ragans is scheduled to throw two innings with Triple-A Omaha, according to manager Matt Quatraro. It's been pretty much a lost year for Ragans in 2025 due to multiple injuries, but it's been a rotator-cuff strain in his left shoulder that has kept him on the 60-day injured list since the middle of June. It's good to hear that he's close to throwing in real games again, and Ragans is hoping to rejoin the Royals before the end of September. However, for fantasy purposes, the ship has pretty much already sailed this year. Ragans was a first-time All-Star in 2024 but has made only 10 starts this year and has posted a bloated 5.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, although he did have a nice 76:16 K:BB in 48 2/3 frames.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) threw a two-up live batting practice session at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday that consisted of around 30 pitches and could embark on a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend if everything checks out in the coming days, according to MLB.com. It was the first time that Ragans has faced hitters since being diagnosed with a torn left rotator cuff and placed on the injured list on June 11. The Royals are taking it slow with the 27-year-old left-hander, who is in the midst of an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. Ragans has a shot to rejoin the Royals before the end of September as they look to get into the postseason, but at this point, fantasy managers shouldn't be holding their breathe for him. He was an All-Star in 2023 but pitched to a 5.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 76 K's and 16 walks in 10 starts before being shut down.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) is one step closer to starting a minor-league rehab assignment after he threw approximately 40 pitches in a two-up bullpen session on Sunday. Ragans will face live hitters sometime soon, and if he gets through that without issues, he'll head to the minors. The 27-year-old landed on the injured list on June 8 with a strained rotator cuff and has missed almost three months since then. After performing like an ace in 2024, Ragans has only managed a 5.18 ERA across 10 starts and 48 2/3 innings this season. However, he has totaled a whopping 76 strikeouts against 16 walks, and he allowed an unsustainable .382 batting average on balls in play before going on the shelf. Ragans probably would have been in line for positive regression had he stayed healthy. He'll still have a chance to end the season on a positive note if he rejoins the Royals later this month.

Kansas City Royals starter Cole Ragans (shoulder) threw an "up-down" bullpen session on Sunday, and manager Matt Quatraro said afterward that the left-hander "feels good." Ragans has now thrown five bullpens since he went on the injured list on June 8 with a strained rotator cuff. The next step will be facing live hitters as he aims for a return in September. Ragans enjoyed a career year in 2024, but thanks in part to the injury, he hasn't been able to build on it this season. The 27-year-old has made 10 starts and posted a bloated 5.18 ERA across 48 1/3 innings. However, Ragans boasts impressive strikeout and walk numbers (14.05 K/9, 2.96 BB/9), and his underlying metrics (2.44 FIP, 2.54 FIP, and 2.71 xERA) suggest he has easily outperformed his results. If he's healthy over the last few weeks of the season, Ragans should be in line for positive regression.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (shoulder) completed a 35-pitch bullpen session on Monday and introduced offspeed stuff for the first time in his recovery, reports Anne Rogers of MLB.com. This is good news for the lefty, who remains on the 60-day injured list with a left rotator cuff strain after last pitching on June 8. Even that start was his first outing back from an injured list stint caused by a groin strain, so the Royals have essentially been without their ace since May 16. The 27-year-old got knocked around for an unsightly 5.18 ERA in 10 starts this season, but it looked like positive regression was on the way, as he remained an elite strikeout artist with 76 in 48 innings. If his recovery continues without issue, Ragans could make his long-awaited return to the rotation in early September.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (shoulder) threw a 20-pitch bullpen on Friday and had "no pain, no restrictions in (his) delivery," per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Ragans has been on the injured list since early June due to a rotator cuff strain. The 27-year-old left-hander will need at least a few rehab appearances to fully build back up, so he's still a ways off from returning to the big-league mound. However, it's a positive sign that Ragans was able to throw for the first time since suffering the injury without suffering any setbacks. Assuming Ragans is able to keep progressing in the coming weeks, he could be on track to rejoin the Royals in mid-to-late September.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. This will be the first time that Ragans has thrown since landing on the injured list in early June. The expectation is that Ragans will throw a few bullpen sessions before going on a rehab assignment. The southpaw has been sidelined for quite a while, so he'll need time to build back up his pitch count and stamina. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect to see Ragans back on the mound for the Royals until September.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) remains on track in his pitching progression and is playing catch up to 120 feet, according to MLB.com. Ragans is recovering from a left rotator-cuff strain that initially landed him on the 15-day injured list on June 11. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on July 8 and is expected to return in late August, barring a setback. Ragans is making slow progress and could return for the final month of the regular season, but he's running out of time, especially to help out fantasy managers. The 27-year-old southpaw will probably be on a short leash when he returns, too, and there's even the possibility he returns in a relief role. After being a first-time All-Star in 2024, it's been a very disappointing season for Ragans. He ran into bad luck in his 10 starts with a 5.18 ERA (2.43 FIP) while striking out 76 and walking 16.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (shoulder) has been transferred to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday. Ragans recently started a throwing program, but still has a long way to go before getting back on the mound for the Royals. That being said, the Royals have transferred Ragans to the 60-day IL in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. The left-hander has been sidelined since early June due to a rotator cuff strain. Ragans is now going to be sidelined until early August. Fantasy managers should continue to hold Ragans and hope they can get something else out of him before the regular season ends.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (shoulder) appears to be headed in the right direction. Ragans received positive results from his follow-up MRI, according to Royals manager Matt Quatraro. Now, the plan is for Ragans to begin throwing again as early as Monday. The left-hander still has plenty of work ahead of him, but appears to be making the right steps forward now. Ragans has been sidelined since early June due to a shoulder injury. The expectation is that Ragans will be out until late July or early August. Fantasy managers should continue to hold Ragans on their IL, assuming they have a spot available.

A second opinion that Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) received on Tuesday confirmed his initial diagnosis of a left rotator-cuff strain, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Ragans will be shut down from throwing for four weeks from when he initially injured his shoulder, which means he has roughly two weeks to go. The 27-year-old southpaw will be re-evaluated then to determine if he can start a throwing progression. We'll have a more clear timetable for his potential return once he's looked at again, but fantasy managers now know that we won't see him again until after the mid-July All-Star break. The former first-rounder was a first-time All-Star in 2024 and was a fantasy ace with 223 K's, making him stash-worthy in all fantasy leagues. Ragans just hasn't been right this year while dealing with injuries and has an ERA over 5.00 with 76 K's in 48 2/3 frames over 10 starts.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) went back on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, less than a week after returning from a left-groin strain, with a left rotator-cuff strain. According to manager Matt Quatraro, the team doesn't think Ragans will require surgery, but he'll be shut down from throwing for "a while." The 27-year-old southpaw will receive a second opinion on his shoulder next week, which will help give KC a better idea of how long he might be out. Ragans spent 20 days on the IL because of his groin, but this absence will be longer. He allowed five runs and three walks in three innings in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cardinals last Thursday and now has a 5.18 ERA over 10 starts after finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young voting in 2024. Rotator-cuff injuries are pretty serious, so it's possible Ragans won't be the same until next year.

The Kansas City Royals announced on Wednesday that they placed left-hander Cole Ragans (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 8) with a left rotator-cuff strain and reinstated right-handed reliever Lucas Erceg (back) from the injured list in a corresponding move. It's yet another IL stint for Ragans, who just hasn't been able to get going due to injuries in 2025. The 27-year-old southpaw returned from his previous IL stint due to a groin injury to start on June 5 and didn't look good, allowing five earned runs while walking three and striking out four in three innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was a first-time All-Star in 2024 as the Royals' ace, but he just hasn't looked anything like an ace so far in 2025, going 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 76 strikeouts and 16 walks in 48 2/3 frames over 10 starts. We might not see him again until after the All-Star break in mid-July.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (groin) will be activated off the 15-day injured list to start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. Ragans will finally make his return to the mound after missing nearly three weeks of action due to a left groin strain. The return of Ragans should be both a boost to fantasy managers and the Royals rotation. He posted a 4.53 ERA in nine starts before going down in mid-May. Fantasy managers should prepare to take him off their IL on Thursday.

Kansas City Royals left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans (groin) could be cleared to return to action on Thursday. Currently, the Royals do not have a starter listed for this game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ragans has been sidelined on the 15-day injured list due to left groin tightness since May 17. However, the southpaw is nearing a return. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on his status over the next few days. He was able to complete several bullpen sessions and logged one rehab outing with Double-A on Saturday. In this outing, Ragans tossed 3 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and five runs (four earned). Before his injury, the 27-year-old logged 45 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.53 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP. He struck out batters at an elite 37.7% rate and sits in the 97th percentile in xERA. He should be viewed as a high-end starting pitcher in all leagues when he returns to the rotation.

The Kansas City Royals expect left-hander Cole Ragans (groin) to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Saturday. If Ragans looks good this weekend and doesn't have any setbacks with his groin injury, he might only need the one rehab outing before rejoining KC's starting rotation in early June. The 27-year-old southpaw is the Royals' ace when healthy and should be stashed in all fantasy leagues until he returns. The former first-rounder (30th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2016 didn't get off to the best start in his first nine starts in 2025, with an ERA of 4.53, but he did strike out 72 batters while walking just 13 with a 1.20 WHIP in 45 2/3 innings pitched. Ragans could be on a limited pitch count in his first start back in the big leagues, but normally he's a must-start in fantasy.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (groin) threw a two-up bullpen session on Wednesday, and if he comes out of that well, he's likely to start a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Ragans is eligible to come off the 15-day injured list this Sunday, but that obviously isn't going to happen. However, the 27-year-old southpaw could have a pretty short rehab assignment, depending on how his first start goes this weekend. When healthy, Ragans serves as the Royals' ace after he was a first-time All-Star in 2024 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with a career-high 223 strikeouts in 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts. Injuries have been a nuisance so far this year and have likely played a big part in his elevated 4.53 ERA, but Ragans does have 72 K's and only 13 walks in his 45 2/3 frames.

Kansas City Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (groin) threw a "competitive" bullpen session on Sunday, according to manager Matt Quatraro, and felt good afterward. Ragans has been playing catch and is expected to return from the injured list when he's eligible on June 1. The 27-year-old southpaw is currently on the 15-day injured list after he left his last start on May 16 with tightness in his left groin. He was eventually diagnosed with a mild left-groin strain. Ragans won't require a minor-league rehab assignment, which is good and bad for fantasy managers. He'll return when eligible this weekend, but Ragans will be much more risky in his first start back, whenever that may be. Although he has a 4.53 ERA in his nine starts in 2025, he has struck out 72 batters and walked only 13 in his 45 2/3 innings pitched. If he returns to start on June 1, he'd be facing the division-rival Detroit Tigers at home.