Lance McCullers Jr. Expected To Resume Throwing Soon
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) had right-forearm surgery in June of last year to fix his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur, but he suffered a setback in July of this year and was shut down for the rest of the season. McCullers hasn't pitched since the 2022 World Series but is expected to resume throwing at the end of September. The good news for the oft-injured 30-year-old hurler is that no new structural damage was found in his right arm before he was shut down, so if he can avoid further setbacks this offseason, he could be ready to roll for the start of the 2025 campaign. The former first-rounder in 2012 was an All-Star in 2017 and has always had plenty of fantasy intrigue with a 26.5% career strikeout rate, but it's hard to put too much faith into a pitcher that consistently has dealt with arm injuries in recent seasons.
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) has been throwing off a mound and has hit the mid-80s with his fastball while adding in some changeups. His next step will be to add in some breaking pitches to build up his pitch count and intensity in the coming weeks. McCullers didn't pitch at all in 2023 after having surgery on June 13 to fix his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right elbow. He had rehabbed to the point that he was close to facing hitters in mid-May of last year, but he had another setback that ultimately led to surgery. It's positive news for the 30-year-old starter, but McCullers still has a ways to go and probably won't start a minor-league rehab assignment for around another month, so fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues can leave him to the waiver wire for now. In a best-case scenario, McCullers won't be back with Houston until after the All-Star break.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw 10 fastballs off of the mound's rubber on Saturday. He is expected to return from forearm surgery sometime around midseason after not pitching at all in 2023. The Astros have had terrible luck with injuries to their rotation so far this season, so McCullers would likely jump back into a starting spot when he returns. He is not a priority stash at this point, but fantasy managers with IL space in deeper leagues could scoop him up if he is available.
Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy Play Catch
Houston Astros pitchers Luis Garcia (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow), Jose Urquidy (forearm) and Penn Murfee (elbow) all played catch at Minute Maid Park on Monday. Left-hander Framber Valdez (elbow) is scheduled to play catch Tuesday. Garcia, McCullers and Murfee are all currently on the 60-day injured list. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May and isn't expected to be an option for the 'Stros until around midseason at least. McCullers, 30, is expected to be out until late June or early July as he recovers from right-elbow surgery. After missing a huge chunk of last season, the 28-year-old Urquidy has now been out almost a month with a right-forearm strain. Barring a setback, he should be the first of this group to return for Houston's rotation.
Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is targeting a "late June, early July" return. He underwent flexor tendon surgery in June, which had a 13-15 month recovery. His goal is to aim for that 13th-month timeline. McCullers hasn't pitched at any level since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. The 30-year-old posted a 2.27 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 50:22 K: BB across 47 2/3 innings in 2022. McCullers will continue to rehab, but it's unclear when he will be cleared and become an integral part of Houston's rotation again. For fantasy leagues with an injured list spot, managers in deep leagues can stash McCullers on the IL and hope he returns to action around the All-Star break.
Luis Garcia, Lance McCullers Jr. On Track To Return In Second Half
Houston Astros right-handers Luis Garcia (elbow) and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) are on track to return to the active roster in the second half of the 2024 season, according to general manager Dana Brown. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May after allowing 12 earned runs with 10 walks and 31 strikeouts in 27 innings over six starts last year. The 27-year-old misses plenty of bats and could still be worth stashing as a late-round flier in deep-mixed fantasy leagues this spring. McCullers missed all of 2023 after having surgery to fix a torn flexor tendon in June. The 30-year-old remains intriguing in fantasy, but keep in mind he hasn't pitched since the World Series in 2022. Fantasy managers will want to temper expectations for both Garcia and McCullers once they return in the second half.
Late-Summer Return Could Be Possible For Lance McCullers Jr.
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is throwing from 80 feet on flat ground and said that he's feeling good. He also said that a return later this summer seems feasible. McCullers had surgery to fix a torn flexor tendon in his right arm in June and was forced to miss all of the 2023 season. The 30-year-old oft-injured pitcher is making progress this offseason, though, but at best, he's going to pitch half a season in 2024. When healthy, McCullers will be a starting-rotation staple for the Astros, but he's probably going to need to knock off some rust and Houston isn't going to rush him back. McCullers hasn't pitched at any level since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. He might be worth stashing in some fantasy leagues, but there's no telling which version of McCullers we're going to get when he returns in the second half of 2024.
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr.'s (forearm) agent, Scott Boras, said on Wednesday that his client is "certainly going to be pitching next year, no doubt," but he also didn't give a specific timeline for when McCullers might be back. General manager Dana Brown said on Tuesday that McCullers might not return until sometime in early July. The 30-year-old had surgery in June to fix a torn right flexor tendon and also to remove a bone spur in his right forearm, and he's facing a lengthy recovery. McCullers last pitched in a major-league game in the World Series in 2022. Given his lengthy layoff and new surgery this year, fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting him to be available until some point in the second half of 2024.
The Houston Astros announced on Wednesday that starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) underwent season-ending surgery on Tuesday night on his right forearm to fix the flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur, according to general manager Dana Brown. McCullers originally injured the flexor tendon in his forearm while pitching in Game 4 of the 2021 American League Division Series, and he aggravated it while throwing a bullpen this February. The 29-year-old is expected to return for the Astros in 2024, but it's unknown when that might be, and it's understandable for fantasy managers to want nothing to do with him next year. It's another disappoint injury development for McCullers, and he can safely be dropped in redraft fantasy leagues.
Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown hasn't ruled out Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) returning at some point this season. However, according to Brown, "Even if he could come back, we would have to build him up, and it's going to take a little while to do that." The 29-year-old was initially expected to make his 2023 debut around the All-Star break. Unfortunately, he experienced setbacks in rehab and underwent an MRI on Friday. Those results are expected soon. But fantasy managers shouldn't anticipate seeing McCullers on the mound in the near future, although he should remain stashed until the team releases a definitive update on his prognosis.
