Kansas City Royals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen (hamstring) has had his minor-league rehab assignment moved to Triple-A Omaha, and he'll start for the Storm Chasers on Friday. Lorenzen made his first rehab start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas on Tuesday and allowed three runs in just 1 2/3 innings of work. Whether the 32-year-old veteran returns to KC's starting rotation after his rehab start on Friday will likely depend on how he fares and how many pitches he's able to throw. Lorenzen has been sidelined since late August due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He has a weak 17.7% strikeout in his time with the Royals and Texas Rangers this year, but he posted a 1.85 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his five starts (24 1/3 innings) since the Royals acquired him at the trade deadline. At best, Lorenzen might have a couple starts as a fantasy streamer to close out the year.

Kansas City Royals infielder Paul DeJong is out of the team's starting lineup on Wednesday for a contest against the New York Yankees in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium. With DeJong on the bench, Maikel Garcia will start at third base and bat eighth against Yankees right-hander Luis Gil. DeJong could find himself riding the pine more often moving forward due to a recent slump offensively. So far in six games in September, he has gone 3-for-19 (.158) with no homers, an RBI, no walks and six strikeouts. The 31-year-old veteran was acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline at the end of July and has been better with KC, though, batting .244 (22-for-90) with six home runs and 15 RBI. In deeper leagues, fantasy managers will want to keep DeJong on their benches until he pulls out of his slump with the Royals in a midst of a run for a wild-card spot in the American League.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo turned in another excellent start in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Yankees. Lugo pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts. The 34-year-old veteran struggled to begin the second half of the season but has returned to his strong first-half form lately, tossing three consecutive seven-inning starts and notching four in his last five. Lugo now owns a 16-8 record with a 2.94 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 7.88 K/9 rate in 30 starts and 193 IP. He will have a good chance to extend his streak in his next start against the Tigers.

Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith is out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. This looks like a rest game for Smith after he went hitless with two strikeouts during Monday's game. In his place, Austin Barnes will do the catching and bat ninth versus left-hander Shota Imanaga. Barnes is a fine backup catcher with a .262 batting average over 49 games this season. However, he doesn't offer much pop with the bat and has a tough matchup here, so fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option on Tuesday.

Kansas City Royals catcher Freddy Fermin is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the New York Yankees. This appears to be a routine rest day for Fermin after he caught both games over the weekend. Fermin has been nice surprise to the Royals lineup this season. He's hitting .290 with six home runs and 36 RBI in 99 games this season. In his absence, Salvador Perez will do the catching while Yuli Gurriel covers first base versus left-hander Carlos Rodon. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups ahead of first pitch.