Lance McCullers Jr. Tosses Four Shutout Innings In Rehab Start
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) was impressive on the mound during his rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday. The right-hander struck over five batters over four shutout innings during this outing. McCullers allowed one hit and one walk, but was perfect outside of that. He threw 42 of his 61 pitches for strikes and appears to be headed in the right direction. The expectation is that McCullers will probably need to make at least one more rehab start. Hopefully, McCullers can get back on the big league mound by the end of April.
Lance McCullers Jr. Throws Two Innings In First Rehab Start
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) allowed two earned runs and struck out three batters in his two innings of work in his first minor-league rehab start on Sunday at Triple-A Sugar Land. McCullers hit 94.9 mph on the radar gun in what was overall a positive outing, especially when considering it was his first real game action since the World Series in 2022. The 31-year-old also threw a scoreless inning in his only action in the Grapefruit League during spring training. McCullers had surgery to fix the flexor tendon in his right arm back in 2023 and hasn't pitched since after having multiple setbacks along the way. It's looking he may finally make his return to Houston's starting rotation in 2025, but he has a ways to go still, and the Astros are going to take their time. McCullers deserves to be stashed in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues, but his fantasy upside will be limited while on a strict workload this year.
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will make his next minor-league rehab start this Sunday at Triple-A Sugar Land. It will be McCullers' first regular-season start since the 2022 World Series. It's unclear exactly when the 31-year-old veteran will be cleared to rejoin Houston's big-league rotation, but they certainly won't be rushing him based on how much time he's missed over the last few seasons because of arm injuries. McCullers has now recovered from two similar injuries on the flexor tendon in his right forearm, and there's certainly no guarantee he'll suddenly return to his pre-injury form, when he was once a dependable piece of the Astros' starting rotation. At best, he'll be a flier in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues when he returns. In his last full season in 2021, McCullers had a 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 185 K's and 76 walks in 162 1/3 innings pitched.
Lance McCullers Jr. Tosses Scoreless Inning In Tuesday Grapefruit League Debut
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) had a successful Grapefruit League debut in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals. McCullers Jr. threw 13 pitches in a scoreless inning, hitting one batter while mainly featuring a four-seam fastball and a changeup. This was the 31-year-old's first game action since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series and he has been recovering from flexor tendon surgery since. Manager Joe Espada said that McCullers Jr. wanted to go out to pitch a second inning and that he was pleased with his performance. McCullers Jr. has been a useful fantasy option throughout his career, but he still has a long way to go before proving that he can be a reliable option again for the Astros and fantasy managers.
Lance McCullers Jr. To Make Grapefruit League Debut On Tuesday
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will make his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, according to manager Joe Espada. McCullers has been cleared to pitch in his first game of the spring after looking good recently in a live batting practice session in which he touched 94 mph on the radar gun. The 31-year-old veteran last pitched in a game for the Astros in the World Series back in October of 2022, so it's been a while. He's making good progress this spring, but fantasy managers know by now not to get their hopes up. McCullers will have a rotation spot waiting for him during the regular season as long as he doesn't have any setbacks, but he will begin the year on the injured list. McCullers proved before that he's fantasy relevant in all leagues when he's healthy, but his lengthy injury history and innings limit this year will limit his upside in 2025.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) could pitch in a Grapefruit League game as early as next week. The 31-year-old last pitched in big-league action during Game 3 of the 2022 World Series and has just 47.2 regular-season innings of work since the end of 2021. McCullers Jr. underwent surgery in June of 2023 to repair a flexor tendon and had a setback during his rehab in 2024, keeping him out for the entirety of both seasons. It's excellent news for the veteran and a significant step in the right direction. "Yeah, it's exciting, but one day at a time," said McCullers Jr. The lefty is currently just inside the top 400 in ADP regarding fantasy drafts, but that could change over the next few weeks if he pitches well in Grapefruit League action.
Lance McCullers Jr. Set To Throw Final Bullpen Session Before Spring Debut
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will throw his final live bullpen session on Wednesday before making his spring debut. McCullers has been sidelined since the 2022 season since undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right forearm. However, it appears McCullers is nearing the end of his lengthy recovery process. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status after Wednesday's bullpen session as he could be cleared to make his spring debut shortly after. Even though the 31-year-old will open the season on the injured list, he may not miss much time in the regular season given his current status. In the 2022 season, the 31-year-old logged 47 2/3 innings with a strong 2.27 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP. When he does return to the bump, he should have a role in the starting rotation.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) threw a successful live bullpen session on Friday. The right-hander threw around 20 pitches without any issues, so McCullers might not need many more throwing sessions. The team plans to have McCullers throw one more bullpen session before possibly getting him into game action. The hope is that the right-hander will be able to pitch in the Astros rotation by the end of April or early May.
Lance McCullers Jr. Throws Successful Live Batting Practice
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw around 23 or 24 pitches in his second live batting practice session of camp on Friday and said it went well. McCullers' first live batting practice session came last Saturday, and he was able to mix in his curveball, sinker and changeup in addition to his fastball. It's good news for the 31-year-old oft-injured hurler, but he still has a ways to go before fantasy managers will take notice. McCullers is hoping to have three more live BP sessions before potentially getting into a Grapefruit League game before the end of spring training. He did not pitch at all in 2024 while recovering from flexor tendon surgery on his right forearm and has not pitched in a big-league game since the 2022 World Series. McCullers was a dependable rotation arm for Houston before his injuries, but now he's just hoping to return to a major-league mound after multiple arm surgeries.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw live batting practice on Saturday. The right-hander threw 20 pitches and hit 94.7 mph on his fastball. He was able to mix in his curveball, changeup, and sinker. The 31-year-old underwent surgery to repair a flexor tendon. He faced a setback last season but appears to be on track to return to the big league mound. The 31-year-old last saw MLB action during the 2022 campaign. During this season, McCullers held a 2.27 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP across 47 2/3 innings. He tallied 50 punchouts. In 2021, McCullers posted a 3.16 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP across a career-high 162 1/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression as he could be nearing his Grapefruit League debut. When cleared to return, he should earn a spot in the starting rotation.
Lance McCullers Jr.
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Astros
