Cole Ragans provides an important update.
Kansas City Royals star pitcher Cole Ragans exited his most recent start on Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians after taking a line drive off his hand in the first inning. Ragans impressed through the first couple of outs in the inning, but a Jose Ramirez line drive ultimately led to his departure from the contest. According to Anne Rogers, Ragans said he felt fine on Thursday and does expect to make his next scheduled start.
The Royals ended up losing the game 10-2. They also dropped their series in Cleveland 2-1. If Ragans had not suffered the injury, perhaps Kansas City could have earned the victory on Wednesday. Regardless, the injury occurred and now Ragans and the Royals are moving forward.
Cole Ragans' Injury Situation
Ragans, 28, is fortunate to not have suffered a worse injury. He escaped with a thumb contusion. After missing time last year due to injury concerns, Ragans and the Royals were surely worried on Wednesday.
In 2024, Ragans was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He pitched to a 3.14 ERA across 32 starts. The southpaw added 223 strikeouts across his 186.1 innings on the mound. Not only did he earn the first All-Star selection of his career, but Ragans finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting.
Expectations were high for Ragans in 2025, but he ended up making only 13 starts. He struggled while on the mound, turning in a 4.67 ERA. Kansas City is hopeful that he can bounce back this season.
However, Ragans has a 5.91 ERA through his first 10.2 innings of work. That number is deceiving, though, as Ragans surrendered multiple runs on Wednesday after suffering the injury scare. He lost his early-game momentum and was dealing with the thumb contusion.
As long as injuries do not stand in the way, Ragans should be able to get back on track soon.
Royals Trying to Find Consistency
The Royals' next game is scheduled for 7:40 PM EST in Kansas City against the Chicago White Sox. The contest represents the first of a four-game series against their American League Central rival.
Overall, Kansas City is 5-7 this year. The Royals have certainly enjoyed some good moments, but their performance has been inconsistent for the most part. The Royals are hoping to find consistency as soon as possible.
Perhaps the team can start a winning streak on Thursday night in their home matchup with the White Sox.