Kansas City Chiefs right-hander Michael Lorenzen (hamstring) has been keeping his arm in shape by playing catch, but he still needs time for his left hamstring to fully heal before he throws a bullpen session and figures out the best time to return in the final month of the regular season. Lorenzen suffered a left-hamstring strain on Aug. 27 against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians, and an MRI exam on Aug. 28 confirmed a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with a two- to three-week timeline for a return. The 32-year-old veteran was excellent in his first five starts with the Royals before his injury, posting a 1.85 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 17 K's and 10 walks in 24 1/3 innings, but he's quickly running out of time to make an impact as a deep-league streamer with the regular season ending at the end of September.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Renfroe (hamstring) hit on the field with the team before the game on Monday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium and also ran the bases. The Royals need to decide whether to send Renfroe on a minor-league rehab assignment, but either way, he could be back by this weekend. Renfroe strained his right hamstring while running in the outfield on Aug. 24 and was placed on the 10-day injured list a day later. The Royals were hopeful it wasn't going to be a long stint on the IL. The 32-year-old veteran slugger doesn't offer much upside anywhere for fantasy managers in mixed leagues, but he could see regular playing time at first base when he returns now that Vinnie Pasquantino (thumb) is out for the rest of the regular season. Renfroe will return to a weak .237/.312/.398 slash line with 12 homers and 47 RBI in his 334 at-bats in 2024.

The Kansas City Royals want left-handed reliever William Smith (back) fresh for the last month of the 2024 regular season, so a rest on the injured could help his cause. Smith has been playing catch to keep his arm in shape. He had been dealing with back issues for a few weeks before the team placed him on the 15-day IL on Aug. 26. Smith had been trying to pitch through it, but it was impacting his performance on the mound, and his back spasms got worse after the appeared on back-to-back days against the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 24 and 25, when he surrendered seven runs in just two innings. In his previous five appearances, the 35-year-old southpaw allowed 14 runs in just 4 2/3 innings, so he has clearly been bothered by his back issues. If Smith is healthy down the stretch as the Royals try to secure one of the final wild-card spots in the American League, he'll operate as a key lefty setup man.

Kansas City Royals right-handed reliever Hunter Harvey (back) has been progressing with his throwing program after a few days of no activity and threw a bullpen session on Sunday. The Royals had to see how he felt on Monday to determine his next steps. Harvey has been on the 15-day injured list since Aug. 7 after he felt something pull in his back during his normal pre-game routine earlier that week. He also suffered a setback in his rehab program on Aug. 20 when he received a cortisone injection because his back wasn't loosening up as much as he or the team would have liked. The 29-year-old could require another bullpen session but appears close to going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Once he's ready to return to the major-league bullpen, Harvey is expected to serve in a late-inning, high-leverage setup role for KC.

Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (hand) remains out of action on Tuesday for the contest against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Canada. With Bohm still out, Edmundo Sosa will play third base and bat eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt. It's a bit concerning that Bohm missed three games during the weekend series against the division-rival Atlanta Braves and still isn't ready to go after a scheduled off day on Monday. The 28-year-old remains day-to-day. Check back to see if he's good enough to return on Wednesday. Sosa represents a low-upside DFS sleeper on Tuesday that should be avoided. In his last eight games (three starts), he has gone just 2-for-15 with a homer, a double, two RBI, one walk and four strikeouts. Whenever Bohm returns for the Phils, fantasy managers will want to get him back into their lineups immediately.UPDATE: Bohm's sore left hand is progressing slower than expected, and he is unlikely to play this week in Toronto, but manager Rob Thomson said it's not an injured-list situation. It means the Phils likely expect Bohm to return during an upcoming four-game series in Miami against the Marlins this weekend.