Kansas City Royals

Cole Ragans

SP

Ragans was shut down after not feeling well in the aftermath of his rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on May 23, but he has now resumed throwing. The southpaw landed on the injured list May 8 due to a left elbow impingement and had made good progress in his recovery before the setback. Resuming throwing is a positive first step, though the next stages of his rehab remain unclear and there is no timetable for a return.

Nick Mears

RP

Mears has been struggling of late and has given up runs in three of his last four outings, posting an alarming 9.64 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 4.2 innings in that stretch. While a four-game sample isn't big enough to draw significant concerns, Mears is clearly trending in the wrong direction after he gave up just three earned runs in his first 16 outings (14.0 innings) this season.

Kris Bubic

SP

Bubic began a throwing program this past weekend and continues to play catch despite not yet feeling 100 percent. The southpaw will not be allowed to ramp things up until he's no longer feeling fatigue in his pitching arm, so there remains no timetable for Bubic's return to the Royals' rotation. He posted a 4.11 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 51:26 K:BB across 50.1 innings before landing on the 15-day injured list with left elbow discomfort in mid-May.

Carlos Estevez

RP

While on a rehab assignment for a left foot contusion May 6, Estevez was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain and subsequently shut down from throwing. The right-hander met with team doctors Tuesday for a re-evaluation and seemingly received positive news, as he has now resumed throwing. The development marks a step in the right direction, though Kansas City will likely proceed cautiously with the veteran's buildup, and he'll almost certainly require another rehab assignment, leaving his timetable for a return unclear. With Estevez sidelined, Lucas Erceg has stepped in as the Royals' closer and posted a 5.06 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 18:13 K:BB while converting 11 of 15 save opportunities across 21.1 innings.

Maikel Garcia

3B

It's the fourth consecutive start that Garcia will miss as he continues to deal with a right hamstring issue. The Royals have held off on putting Garcia on the 10-day injured list, but a move will have to be made soon if he's not game-ready in a hurry. Nick Loftin is filling in again at third base Wednesday in Garcia's stead.