Royals lefty Cole Ragans looked strong Sunday in his first rehab start since straining his left rotator cuff in June.
Ragans tossed three innings for Triple-A Omaha in a game at Iowa, allowing a solo homer and an infield single while striking out seven batters -- including six straight at one point. Of his 45 pitches, 34 were strikes, and his fastball touched 97 mph to multiple hitters.
“He did well. He threw a ton of strikes," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said on Monday afternoon. "Went back out for the third inning, which wasn’t on the schedule, but because of the efficiency of how he felt and how his stuff looked, [Major League rehab coordinator Jeff] Blum and [Major League pitching strategist] Malcom [Culver] thought that was the best way to go. And he’s bounced back well. That was really encouraging.”
It seems likely Ragans will make another rehab start with Triple-A later this week, increasing the volume of innings and pitch count, but Quatraro didn't rule out a quick return for Ragans.
“I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do or not," Quatraro said. "[Monday is] day one since he pitched. Let’s see how he bounces back. I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I think probably another [rehab start].”
Ragans, a 2024 All-Star, has been sidelined since June 11 with a left rotator cuff strain. He made one start in June against the Cardinals after coming off the IL with a left groin strain, but felt the shoulder injury after the outing.
Ragans began ramping up his throwing progression at the beginning of July and threw his first bullpen session on Aug. 12. A live bullpen session off the mound at Kauffman Stadium followed on Wednesday, consisting of about 30 pitches.
While the Royals would like to continue to build Ragans up, time is running out because the Triple-A season ends Sept. 21. But it's possible that he could make as many as three starts in Triple-A and, if all goes well, return to Kansas City's rotation for roughly the final two weeks of the season, tossing three or four innings per outing.
It's been an injury-riddled season for Ragans, who finished fourth in Cy Young voting last year, signed a three-year contract in the spring and was the Royals’ Opening Day starter for the second straight year. First, he dealt with a groin strain, causing him to first skip a start, pitch poorly and then go on the IL. Now, it's the rotator cuff strain, an injury from which he seems to be nearing a return.
Still, a healthy Ragans back at the end of September in the midst of a crazy AL Wild Card race would be quite a boost to the Royals.