Lance McCullers Jr. Fantasy Stats

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. is fully healthy to begin the 2026 season and was dominant in his first start of the year in an 8-1 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox on Monday evening. McCullers allowed just one earned run on four hits while walking one and striking out nine in seven innings of work for his first victory. The 32-year-old veteran was in complete control and induced 17 swings and misses. It was the first time that McCullers went seven innings in a game since 2022. Arm injuries have derailed the former first-rounder's career in Houston in recent seasons, but he was an All-Star in 2017, and his strikeout upside and strong ground-ball rate could quickly make him attractive off the waiver wire in fantasy leagues if he keeps this up. McCullers' next scheduled outing won't be an easy one against a power A's lineup. He's currently rostered in just 10% of Yahoo leagues.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. has made the Opening Day rotation, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. McCullers has been with the Astros since he made his MLB debut in 2015, but he didn't pitch at all in 2023 or 2024. He returned to action last year, making 16 appearances (13 starts) in the majors with a shaky 5.77 FIP, 6.34 BB/9, and 1.63 HR/9. He struck out batters at a modest clip of 9.92 K/9, but his ground ball rate dropped to a new career-low mark of 46.4%. His job was far from guaranteed coming out of spring training, but ultimately, it appears that he has won the No. 5 starter role. With that being said, he'll need to pitch well -- or, at least, better than last year -- to survive a full season in the rotation. He showed flashes of improvement this spring with a 3.38 ERA, as well as reduced walk and home run rates. However, he racked up just 5.63 K/9 and a 40.9% ground ball rate, albeit over a small sample size.

Houston Astros starting pitchers Lance McCullers Jr. and Spencer Arrighetti have the inside track on claiming starting rotation spots to open the season, but it's expected to be a top spring training battle to watch. The Astros are going with a six-man rotation to accommodate Tatsuya Imai's arrival from Japan and a busy early-season schedule. Hunter Brown, Imai, Mike Burrows, and Cristian Javier are almost guaranteed to be in the rotation, with Arrighetti, McCullers, Ryan Weiss, Jason Alexander, Nate Pearson, Colton Gordon, and AJ Blubaugh all in the mix for the other spots. Arrighetti and McCullers have the most MLB experience, and Pearson is still returning from a "cleanup" on his elbow. While the competition will be exciting to watch this spring, the depth is outstanding for the Astros since they've dealt with so many starting pitcher injuries in the last few seasons.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and will be built up as a starter during spring training, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. McCullers, one of the most injury-prone pitchers in baseball, returned to the Astros in 2025 after missing two full seasons following surgery on his right forearm. The 32-year-old veteran went on the injured list three separate times last year and appeared in 16 games (13 starts), going 2-5 with a 6.51 ERA (5.77 FIP) and 1.81 WHIP with 61 strikeouts and 39 walks in 55 1/3 innings. Perhaps McCullers will be more effective another year removed from his flexor-tendon surgery, but at this point, it's hard to imagine him making it through a full season with a starter's workload. He does a good job of keeping the ball out of the air, but his serious durability concerns will keep most fantasy managers far away, even in the deepest of formats.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (hand) went on the 15-day injured list last Friday with right-hand soreness, and he might not be able to return before the end of the regular season. "There's a chance that this is the last that we've seen of him," general manager Dana Brown said. "Is it possible he could get back for the last couple of games? There's probably an outside chance, but highly unlikely." The Athletic's Chandler Rome writes there are "few permutations" that exist where McCullers is a logical fit for potential playoff rosters, too. The 31-year-old just hasn't been able to stay healthy and had a 6.88 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in his 52 1/3 innings for the Astros this season. His usage before his injury came as basically a last resort out of the bullpen. McCullers will need a completely healthy offseason -- something he hasn't had since 2021 -- to have any hope of bouncing back next year.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. is available out of the bullpen, according to manager Joe Espada. The skipper characterized the decision to move McCullers from the starting rotation to the bullpen as a "short-term" move and hopes it will get him going. He will be an option to start Monday's series opener against the division-rival Los Angeles Angels, though. Whether the 31-year-old veteran makes the start on Monday will likely depend on whether right-hander Luis Garcia (elbow) is activated to make his season debut this weekend. In his first start off the IL last Friday, McCullers allowed three runs while walking five in four innings against the Baltimore Orioles. The former first-rounder made his return to the big leagues in 2025 after not pitching since 2022 due to arm injuries, and he's been highly erratic with a 6.89 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and 54:34 K:BB in his 12 starts (48 1/3 frames).

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (finger) will be activated from the 15-day injured list and start against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, according to manager Joe Espada. McCullers has been sidelined since mid-July due to a blister on his finger. The right-hander looked good during his most recent rehab outing where he allowed one run over five innings with five strikeouts. There was no word on McCullers being limited, so he figures to have a full workload on Friday. The right-hander hasn't been much of a fantasy option this season, so he won't be a recommended streaming option.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (finger) made a rehab start on Friday for Triple-A Sugar Land, allowing one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out five batters in five innings of work. The 31-year-old threw 80 pitches in the contest, so he appears to be fully stretched out, and it's unclear whether or not he'll need another rehab start before rejoining the Astros. The veteran has been on the shelf due to a blister that could have been partially to blame for his ineffectiveness over his two starts before hitting the injured list. For the season, the right-hander owns a 6.90 ERA (5.86 FIP), 1.74 WHIP, and a 9.7 percent K-BB% and should only be rostered in deep leagues upon his return.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (finger) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday. McCullers has been crushed for nine earned runs over his last two outings. Possibly, the blister on his finger is part of the reason McCullers is struggling right now. He'll now get a few weeks off, but figures to rejoin the rotation in early August. In a corresponding move, right-hander Nick Hernandez has been recalled to take the spot on the active roster. The Astros haven't announced who is going to take the vacant spot in the rotation.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (foot) will come off the 15-day injured list to start against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. McCullers, who last pitched June 10, has been on the shelf with a sprained right foot. He made a quick enough recovery to forgo a rehab assignment and will return against a Chicago offense that has been among the league's best this year. McCullers has been understandably inconsistent this season in his first action since 2022. The 31-year-old has gone 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts against 16 walks in 29 1/3 innings.