Royals place All-Star pitcher Cole Ragans back on the IL and activate reliever Lucas Erceg

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals put left-hander Cole Ragans back on the injured list after one dismal start against the Cardinals, this time with a left rotator cuff strain, and activated reliever Lucas Erceg from the IL before Wednesday night’s game against the Yankees.

Right-hander Jonathan Bowlan also was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to provide some extended depth in the bullpen, and right-hander Trevor Richards was designated for assignment.

The 27-year-old Ragans, an All-Star for Kansas City last season, went on the IL in mid-May with a left groin strain. He returned three weeks later at St. Louis, where he allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in just three innings, dropping him to 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA through his first 10 starts this season.

“It’s very frustrating. I feel badly for him,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He’s a diligent worker. He prepares like crazy to get out here. It’s not a lack of preparation or work ethic. Sometimes you get hurt. You throw 95, 98 miles an hour, it’s something that puts a ton of strain on your body and especially your arm. So it’s very unfortunate. It’s disappointing.”

Ragans, who was 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA last season, was undergoing more tests to determine the severity of the injury.

“I shouldn’t speculate,” Quatraro said, “but if I was going to be pressed on it, I would say we’re optimistic.”

The Royals have the luxury of six starters in their rotation, which means losing Ragans for a while does not dramatically alter their plans. Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron have been revelations early in the season, while veterans Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen have been able to give the club dependable innings.

Erceg, who closed games last season but had mostly been used as a setup man for Carlos Estevez, had been on the injured list since May 27 because of a lower back strain. He’s appeared in 24 games with a 1.96 ERA across 23 innings, and his return gives the Royals two of the best late-inning relievers in the American League this season.

“He’s a huge part of what we do not only in the bullpen but as a whole team,” Quatraro said.

Bowlan has made nine appearances for Kansas City this season, going 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA, and should provide some length in the bullpen. Richards allowed four runs over three innings in three appearances during his stint with the Royals.

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