William Smith: Everything you need to know

Smith recently resumed throwing bullpen sessions, but he's still experiencing back tightness and is without a clear timeline for a return from the 15-day injured list, MLB.com reports. Smith had been contending with back issues for several weeks before the Royals placed him on the IL on Aug. 26. Though it's encouraging that Smith hasn't been shut down from throwing, he'll likely need the soreness in his back to subside a bit more before the Royals are comfortable bringing him back. It's unclear if Smith has a legitimate chance at being activated before the regular season ends Sept. 29.

The Royals placed Smith on the 15-day injured list Monday with low-back spasms. Smith had been bludgeoned for 14 runs over 4.2 innings cover his last five appearances. It's not clear how long he might be sidelined. Carlos Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Omaha to take Smith's spot on the active roster and in the bullpen.

Smith (0-4) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk over one-third of an inning, taking the loss Friday versus the Cardinals. Smith put two runners on base and Chris Stratton allowed both of them to score. Prior to Friday, Smith had posted a seven-inning scoreless streak. He has a 3.48 ERA over 10.1 innings since the start of July, but he remains in a low-leverage role even with the overall struggles of the Royals' bullpen. Overall, Smith is at a 4.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 24:14 K:BB with one save, eight holds and one blown save across 37 innings this season.