Houston Astros Manager Provides Encouraging Update on Injury-Plagued Pitcher

Houston Astros manager Joe Espada revealed that the team's injury-plagued veteran starting pitcher threw a live batting practice session as he moves closer to a return to game action.

Oct 23, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) pitches in the first inning against the New York Yankees during game four of the ALCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Houston Astros veteran right-handed starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is making progress toward a long-awaited return to game action.

After missing the entirety of both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, McCullers Jr. is gearing up to pitch in 2025, and manager Joe Espada shared that he got through a 20-plus pitch live bullpen session without issue, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle.

When he has been healthy enough to take the mound, McCullers Jr. has been one of the best pitchers in the sport. Over 718.2 career innings pithed, the Florida native has put up a 3.48 ERA while striking out 800 hitters.

A two-time World Series champion in 2017 and 2022, McCullers Jr. has a 3.47 career postseason ERA. He started Game 7 of the 2017 World Series after delivering four shutout innings in relief in Game 7 of the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

McCullers Jr.'s unfortunate injury history has kept him off the field for lengthy stretches several times. He missed all of 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he had flexor tendon surgery after injuring himself during 2023 spring training.

The Astros will have to be conservative with McCullers Jr.'s workload throughout the year, but the team hopes that he will be able to make a spring training start.

Houston's rotation has been decimated by injuries in recent years, with McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier all missing extended time with injuries Jose Urquidy, who is no longer with the organization, also suffered a long-term ailment that left a void in the Astros' rotation for a while.

It has been a tough off-season in Space City, as longtime lineup fixtures Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are now members of the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox, respectively.

Justin Verlander had already left before to the New York Mets, but his subsequent return and repeated departure for the San Francisco Giants leaves another vacancy in the starting rotation that needs to be filled.

Ace Framber Valdez leads the team's current rotation, with Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti and Hayden Weseneski in tow.

The good news for Houston is that the eventual returns of McCullers Jr., Javier and Garcia will leave them with an extremely deep pitching staff and a possibly dominant one through five in the rotation that could do enough to offset the weaker lineup the team figures to run out.