Cole Ragans Takes a 92 MPH Comebacker to the Thumb and Still Plans to Pitch Next Week
So here's something that will either make you wince or respect the guy's toughness: Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans got drilled in the left thumb by a 92.4 mph comebacker from Jose Ramirez on Wednesday and walked away saying he'll be fine for his next start. The left-hander took the hit in the middle of the Royals' 10-2 loss to Cleveland, then lasted just two more batters before coming out of the game. Not exactly the outing the Royals needed when they're sitting at 5-7.
Just a Thumb Contusion, Nothing Broken
The good news for Kansas City: tests came back clean. No fractures. Ragans was diagnosed with a thumb contusion, which is about as lucky as you can get when a 92-plus mph fastball finds your hand. "Just a little stiff, obviously, wore it directly off the hand," Ragans told MLB.com. "But, you know, should be good to go (for my next start)." That's the kind of toughness you want from your ace, even if it's a bit terrifying to hear.
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The bigger issue here isn't the thumb. It's that Ragans is already 0-3 on the year with a 5.91 ERA. He gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning against the Guardians, which doesn't exactly scream "Cy Young candidate." For a Royals team trying to find its footing early on, Ragans needs to be better than this. The thumb injury is a bump in the road. The ERA is the real problem.
Ragans will get another crack at it soon. Assuming the thumb cooperates, he'll be back on the mound for his next start. The Royals are banking on him turning things around.
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