Scouting Report
Updated May 20, 2026
Cole Ragans, 28-year-old left-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to May 7th due to left elbow impingement (valgus extension overload/"pitcher's elbow"). He exited his Wednesday start against Cleveland after three innings with soreness and tightness in his triceps and elbow. Medical evaluation revealed no structural damage. Ragans received a lubricant injection and will be shut down for 3-4 days before resuming baseball activities. Manager Matt Quatraro expects a minimal IL stay. Ragans has a history of two previous Tommy John surgeries (2018, 2019) but stated this injury feels different. His 2024 season showed ace-type results (3.14 ERA over 32 starts), but he has struggled with injuries, posting a 4.67 ERA over 13 starts in 2025 and 4.84 ERA in 2026.
Strengths
- + No structural damage confirmed
- + Optimistic outlook from player and management
- + Expected minimal IL stay
- + History of ace-type performance (3.14 ERA in 2024)
- + Experienced with injury recovery and rehabilitation
- + Manager confident in quick return to mound
Weaknesses
- - Recurring elbow issues becoming a pattern
- - Two previous Tommy John surgeries in career
- - Missed significant time in 2025 with rotator cuff strain
- - Current season ERA of 4.84 shows decline in performance
- - Valgus extension overload is a serious pitcher's injury
- - Injury history suggests durability concerns
Injury Status: IL-15
About
Cole Wilcox is a rp for the Seattle Mariners.
Player Overview
RP
Seattle Mariners