Michael Lorenzen DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen had a fantastic outing on Friday, shutting out the Boston Red Sox for seven innings in a tough-luck no-decision. The Royals ended up winning the game 2-1, but it took until the 11th inning for either team to score a run. Lorenzen played his part, allowing just three hits, walking none, and punching out seven in his best outing of the season. The 33-year-old now sits at a 3-3 record, 3.57 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts in 45 IP. Lorenzen is a serviceable pitcher, but is certainly not a must-roster one. He should be used for streaming purposes when the matchup is right. His next start is next Wednesday in Houston, which is a matchup to avoid.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen earned his second win with a quality start in a 6-2 win over the Rockies in the second game of a doubleheader on Thursday. He allowed one run on five hits and four walks over six innings while striking out seven. Although the four walks aren't pretty, Lorenzen got the job done in what was a solid start overall. It was his second start of the season with seven strikeouts and his fourth where he allowed three runs or less. He will carry a 3.90 ERA and 1.45 WHIP into his next start, currently lined up to be against the Rays.

Ryan Hamill, the agent for free-agent right-hander Michael Lorenzen, is talking with teams that are interested in signing his client about his two-way abilities. Lorenzen, who turns 33 on Jan. 4, has not hit in a big-league game since 2021 and hasn't had more than one plate appearance in a season since 2019. Hamill is discussing with teams the possibility of getting Lorenzen the necessary plate appearances to qualify for two-way status and then flipping him to a contender that would carry him as a 14th pitcher. A player with two-way designation (only Shohei Ohtani right now) doesn't count against a team's 13-pitcher limit on the 26-man roster. Lorenzen was an All-Star in 2023 and also threw a no-hitter, and he finished with a 3.31 ERA in 130 1/3 innings in 2024 with the Rangers and Royals. The White Sox, Marlins and Rockies could be idea fits for what Hamill is proposing, but it remains to be seen if it will happen.