The Kansas City Royals are holding their breath over ace Cole Ragans, who is currently sidelined with an elbow injury. On Tuesday, manager Matt Quatraro provided a promising update on the left-hander's status, as reported by Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
Ragans has been slowly working his way back, playing catch on both Sunday and Tuesday. According to Quatraro, Tuesday's session went better than Sunday's, marking a step in the right direction. The plan is for Ragans to play catch again on Wednesday, and the Royals are optimistic that his absence won't be a long one.
When he's on his game, Ragans is the kind of ace who can dominate any lineup. The 28-year-old has the potential to be one of the best starters in baseball, but this season has been a struggle. Through eight starts, he posted a 4.84 ERA with 45 strikeouts over 35.1 innings, and he was still searching for his rhythm before the injury sidelined him.
The Royals know that if they want to make a legitimate postseason run, they'll need Ragans back at his best. His return could be the spark that turns their season around.
Meanwhile, the team dropped a tough 6-5 decision to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Starter Stephen Kolek struggled through 4.2 innings, allowing five runs while striking out six. The bullpen held strong after his departure, surrendering just one run, but the damage was done.
Offensively, the Royals got solid contributions from their stars. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez each collected two hits. Witt, in particular, has been swinging a hot bat lately, and that trend continued on Tuesday.
The loss dropped Kansas City to fourth place in the American League Central standings, while the White Sox climbed to second. Chicago wasn't expected to be a contender this year, but they're making noise early in the season and could be a surprise factor down the stretch.
The Royals will look to bounce back when they face the White Sox again on Wednesday. With Ragans on the mend and the offense showing life, Kansas City still has plenty of reasons to believe in a postseason push.