KANSAS CITY -- With the exception of Bobby Witt Jr., there has been no player more valuable for the Royals than starter Cole Ragans since his Kansas City debut on July 15, 2023. The 27-year-old lefty has emerged as the team’s ace who can set the tone for any big moment the Royals need met.
His three-month absence, due to a left rotator cuff strain, was felt everywhere in the clubhouse and on the field.
But his return was felt just as much.
Ragans returned from the injured list to start the Royals’ 7-5 comeback win over the Mariners on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium, allowing two runs in 3 2/3 innings, a predetermined short start as he builds up. While the victory was decided long after Ragans departed, Kansas City sure enjoyed having its ace back on the mound for the first time since June.
“Any time he’s on the mound, you feel like you got a good chance to win the game,” said Adam Frazier, whose go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth inning sparked the comeback.
Ragans began the game by striking out the side on 11 pitches. Ten of them were fastballs. Eight of those were whiffs. Randy Arozarena struck out swinging on three consecutive fastballs -- 95.7 mph, 97 mph and 97.6 mph. Ragans’ final pitch of the inning was 97.9 mph to Julio Rodríguez.
That’s what was missed.
“Obviously, adrenaline pumping,” Ragans said with a grin. “I felt good. Just tried to attack. … It’s fun. I love competing with these guys, being on the field with these guys and trying to help this team win.”
A 25-pitch second inning saw two walks and a two-run homer, but Ragans got back on track in the third. He departed in the fourth after hitting his 60-pitch limit.
The game was far from over. It wasn’t until the Royals lost their lead in the eighth that the offense came alive again, scoring four runs off of reliever Matt Brash, who had allowed more than one run just once in his 50 appearances this season before Wednesday.
“Just fight,” Frazier said. “That’s all we can do.”
At this point, the Royals (76-76) have acknowledged where they stand with 10 games left in the year and seven games back of an American League Wild Card spot. They’re not officially eliminated, but their playoff chances are improbable.
That doesn’t mean the final two weeks of the season are meaningless. Veteran players reminded the clubhouse of that pregame Wednesday.
“It’s tough to deliver, but it is one day at a time,” Frazier said. “There are two weeks left. If you just check out, your numbers are going to reflect it. You’ve got to show up mentally. Stay locked in. … You got to take some pride with yourself up [at] the plate and in the field. Still got 10 games left to play hard.”
Whether it was that reminder or seeing their ace back or just putting together a team-first comeback win, the Royals reset on Wednesday.
And Ragans was able to reset his season, too, after an injury-riddled year with two stints on the IL for a groin strain and the rotator cuff strain. As he got further into his shoulder rehab and the Royals began to turn things around post-Trade Deadline, there was some optimism that Ragans could return in September to help the club make a playoff push.
That optimism waned last week when the Royals went 2-5 on a must-win road trip through Cleveland and Philadelphia. It did not put Ragans’ return out of reach, though.
“No question about it,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “The mental part of knowing he can go back out there and get big league hitters out, the understanding that, in all likelihood, somebody’s going to get on base and you can ramp it up and execute a pitch with two outs to get out of an inning -- all those things will carry him into the offseason.”
If he pitches on regular rest, Ragans will get two more starts to finish out 2025: next Tuesday in Anaheim and Sept. 28 in Sacramento, the final day of the regular season.
That will allow him to go into the offseason healthy and turn his focus to 2026, instead of on a continued rehab program with the injuries from ‘25 hanging over the winter months.
“I tried to take it day by day,” Ragans said. “But in the back of my head, I want to help this team win. I want to win with this team. So I [did] what I could each day to get healthy and get back out there as quick as I can.”