Royals' Cole Ragans exits early with groin tightness

Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans exited after just three innings in Thursday's game against the Colorado Rockies due to left groin tightness and will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. Ragans allowed four runs, including two home runs, before being relieved by Angel Zerpa, with the bullpen providing six scoreless innings to secure a 7-3 victory. Manager Matt Quatraro noted that Ragans had trouble getting loose before the game and that his groin discomfort likely contributed to his command problems. Catcher Salvador Perez observed that Ragans was not at full strength even during warm-ups. In addition to Ragans' injury, right-hander Alec Marsh is set to begin a new throwing program after shoulder soreness, and outfielder Dairon Blanco is progressing in his recovery from an Achilles injury.