KC Royals Injury Update: Daniel Lynch on IL, Cole Ragans progressing positively

The Kansas City Royals will have another hurdle to maneuver with the recent news of another arm landing on the IL, this time in the bullpen. A bullpen that has been one of the best in baseball, with a 3.71 ERA as of Sunday, will have to figure out how to manage without one of its veteran arms.

That’s the bad news, but there’s a silver lining that softens the blow. The Royals may be getting their most valuable arm back sooner rather than later.

Here’s the latest on the Royals' pitching staff and recent movement in the organization.

KC Royals send Daniel Lynch IV to IL

The Royals announced ahead of Sunday's contest with Arizona that Daniel Lynch will head to the 15-day IL with left elbow nerve irritation. Lynch has been one of the bright spots in the Royals' bullpen, boasting an ERA of 2.59 —a career-best.

He’s proven to be a valuable and reliable left-hand weapon when called upon this season, although he’s fallen on hard times as of late.

Lynch has had four walks, four earned runs, and 10 hits in his last 7 2/3 innings. His 5.85 FIP and 4.26 ERA in June have led to inconsistencies and questions about using him in high-leverage situations.

Lynch is still someone Manager Matt Quatraro trusts more than most in his bullpen. He’s already at 41.2 innings, leading the team out of the 'pen. He pitched two scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks this weekend but hit a batter and walked three more.

The high usage for Lynch may have resulted in elbow discomfort, but hopefully, this isn’t something that sets him back and keeps him on the shelf longer than expected.

Jonathan Bowlan will take his place on the roster. The 28-year-old has looked effective in spurts this season with a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings.

Cole Ragans gets positive report in quest to rejoin KC Royals rotation in 2025

The Royals' ace looks on track to make an eventual return, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, after Quatraro informed the media that Ragans received positive results from his most recent MRI.

The lefty should begin some throwing this week and will be further evaluated afterward. He's been on the IL since June 1, and while Rogers said there's "still a ways to go", a report like this gives optimism that Ragans could be on track to return to the staff at some point after the All-Star break, so long as there are no setbacks in recovery from his left rotator cuff injury.

Ragans has had a rough first half of his season and hasn’t looked like the Cy Young candidate we’ve been accustomed to. He’s had two separate IL stints this year: He landed there on May 17 with a left groin strain, and less than a week after returning from that, he was back on the IL on June 11.

While his 5.18 ERA appears ugly on the surface, his xERA (2.61) and other advanced statistics paint a more favorable picture. His FIP (2.41), strikeout percentage (36.4%), walk rate (7.7%), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (28.7%) are all career highs.

If the Royals have any plans of returning to the postseason, Ragans will have to be at the center of those plans. There has been trade deadline smoke around the Royals pitching staff with several teams reportedly interested in Seth Lugo.