Royals GM provides crucial timeline for this injured star’s return

As the Kansas City Royals continue to fight for a Wild Card spot, the team got some excellent news on a pitcher that could be one heck of an addition, just as the race really heats up. Cole Ragans has missed most of the season with a rotator cuff injury that many fans likely meant an end to his 2025 campaign. However, he could be back before the season is over.

After an excellent start to the season, Ragans hit one heck of a rough patch in the late spring. It was later determined that at least part of his struggles had to do with that rotator cuff problem, and he was shut down at the beginning of June after three straight very rough outings. Since then, he's been slowly working his way back. Signs have been positive for the last month or so, and that's allowed GM J.J. Picollo to be encouraged that he'll be back before 2025 is up.

Cole Ragans could return to the Kansas City Royals in September

"Well, we're hoping the middle of September," The Kansas City Royals exec said during an appearance on MLB Network. "He's thrown a handful of sides. He still has his buildup to go from two innings to three innings and so on. But he's thrown three sides at this point."

Picollo went on to detail that Ragans is starting to throw some pitches that are a bit more taxing on his arm and is showing promising results and positive after effects.

"He's mixing in changeups and breaking balls. He's feeling great. So we're getting close to maybe sending him out on a rehab assignment," Picollo said. "And then it'll be a matter of how he's feeling, how sharp is he, what his command is like."

Picollo then made it clear that, for now at least, the Kansas City Royals are hopeful that Cole Ragans could rejoin the rotation for the final few weeks of the season. Depending on where the team is sitting playoff-wise, the flamethrower could be the difference in making or missing the postseason.