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Cole Ragans Exits Royals Game With Triceps, Elbow Soreness

5/8/2026

23 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Cole Ragans Exits

Cole Ragans left the game after 58 pitches because of left triceps and elbow soreness.
He pitched three scoreless innings in the Royals’ 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.
He felt tightness in the back of his left triceps and just above the elbow during the third inning.
He will undergo testing and evaluation on Thursday to determine severity and next steps.

Summary

Royals Extend Streak

The Royals entered May unbeaten, extending a five-game winning streak.
Cole Ragans posted a 5.29 ERA with a 1-4 record, struck out 41 in 32 1/3 innings, and his walk rate rose to 15.2 %.
Injuries to Ryan Bergert and Ben Kudrna forced Stephen Kolek into his sixth quality start.
If Ragans misses more time, the Royals could call on Mitch Spence.

Summary

Guardians Win

Luinder Avila entered in the fourth inning and was charged with the loss as Cleveland defeated Kansas City 3–1.
Joey Cantillo limited the Royals to one run over five innings while yielding four hits.
The Guardians bullpen—Matt Festa, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith—allowed only one hit after Cantillo exited.
Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.68 ERA) will start Thursday at 1:10 p.m. against Slade Cecconi (1-4, 6.56 ERA) at Kauffman Stadium.

History

Historical Context

Facing Cole Ragans' left-triceps soreness, the Kansas City Royals confront another wave of pitcher injuries. The situation reflects a league-wide pattern, illustrated by Mets right-hander Matt Wheeler, who underwent Tommy John surgery on March 25 2015. Repeated setbacks push the Royals to add depth to their rotation to stave off another sub-.500 campaign.

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Cole Ragans Exits

Cole Ragans left the game after 58 pitches because of left triceps and elbow soreness.
He pitched three scoreless innings in the Royals’ 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.
He felt tightness in the back of his left triceps and just above the elbow during the third inning.
He will undergo testing and evaluation on Thursday to determine severity and next steps.

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