Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro shared a decision before a game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Kansas City Royals rotation has not been the usual dominant force it has been in recent years. Most of the starters have struggled, including their most reliable arms and former All-Stars, and the group has now started to be hit by injuries in the month of May.
Left-hander Cole Ragans was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a left elbow impingement after exiting his previous start early. Just last week, the Royals were forced to make a roster move by bringing up starter Stephen Kolek from Triple-A to start in place of Noah Cameron, who experienced lower back tightness. Now Cameron is set to return to the rotation, and the Royals have made their decision clear.
“Noah Cameron will slot back into the rotation on Sunday, manager Matt Quatraro said,” reported Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
This is good news for Kansas City, as Cameron will rejoin the rotation rather than land on the injured list. However, he is going to have to perform now that he is back.
Before going down, Cameron owned a 5.40 ERA over his first six starts, a significant drop-off from his rookie year in 2025 when he posted a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts. That performance was a major reason the Royals believed he could be a long term rotation piece.
There is slightly less pressure on Cameron now given the injury to Ragans, who had been taking the ball every fifth day. Kolek will likely take over that spot for the time being, as the Royals simply need their reliable arms back on the mound in order to keep games close.
The team's offense remains underwhelming this year, despite the best efforts of Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia. Getting Cameron healthy and available should help stabilize things as the team tries to navigate a difficult stretch.
It is encouraging for Kansas City to see Cameron back in the mix, especially after the uncertainty surrounding his back tightness. The Royals have been better in the month of May and have started to turn their season around, but entering Saturday they still sit at 18-21 and remain under .500.
There is more work to do, and the rotation will play a major role in whether the team can climb back into contention. If Cameron can regain his 2025 form, the Royals may finally have the stability they need to push forward.