Inside the Astros

Astros' Rotation Takes Another Hit as Veteran Starter Heads to the IL

The Houston Astros' starting rotation just took another blow with the injury of this veteran starter.

Jacob Moss

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) pitches against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Daikin Park.
Jun 10, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) pitches against the Chicago White Sox in the second inning at Daikin Park. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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The Houston Astros took yet another hit to their starting rotation on Monday, as according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. is heading to the 15-day IL with a right foot sprain.

The move comes just hours before McCullers was slated to take the mound against the Oakland Athletics for his eighth start of the season.

Per Rome, the team has announced that fellow right-hander Ryan Gusto will now be slotted in against the A's on Monday night, while veteran farmhand Jason Alexander has been recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to assume McCullers spot on the active roster.

McCullers' setback serves as just the latest blow in what's becoming a very long list of injuries that Houston's rotation has suffered so far in 2025.

The team has already lost both Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski to season ending Tommy John surgery, and they are still awaiting a firm timetable for the return of Spencer Arrighetti, who is working his way back from a broken hand.

McCullers, who made his long awaited return for the Astros after missing the last two seasons, had been serving as a stabilizing force for the team' already decimated rotation.

After getting off to a rocky start, he had slowly been rounding back into form, lowering his ERA down to 4.95 over his last several starts.

Now, team manager Joe Espada will have to dig even deeper into the well in order to keep his team afloat until reinforcements can be added to his rotation.

For more Astros news, head over to Astros On SI.

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Jacob Moss
JACOB MOSS

Georgia native and avid Atlanta sports fan who has lived in the Charlotte area for the past eight years. Got started writing about sports for my middle school paper and haven’t stopped since. Graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and proud 49er. Passionate sports writer who has covered everything from high school soccer to the NFL for several prominent outlets including the Charlotte Observer, ESPN, and the Carolina Panthers. Also covered the South Carolina Gamecocks football program as the lead beat writer for Last Word on College Football, and was a contributing writer for several other notable online publications such as Yardbarker. Lives and breathes sports and will watch whatever is on or in season. Favorite teams include the Braves, Hawks, Falcons, and Georgia Bulldogs. Massive Jordan Speith and Rory McIlroy fan on the PGA Tour

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