Astros Franchise Legend Has Become Liability Since Return From Recent Injury

This legendary Houston Astros starter has been largely disappointing on the bump since his return from a recent stint on the injured list.

Jul 11, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (43) walks in the dugout before the game against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

One of the best feel-good stories of the 2025 MLB campaign thus far was the return of Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound back in May.

The two-time World Series champion had essentially missed the last three seasons, working his way back from several nagging injuries in his throwing arm that ended up being more serious than anybody anticipated.

The now-31-year-old didn't get off to the best start, but quickly settled in to become the reliable arm the Astros had long known him to be.

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But the veteran righty was placed on the injured list yet again for most of June with a right foot sprain, which disrupted the rhythym he was seemingly getting into after finally coming back from his extended layoff.

McCullers eventually recovered and was looking to pick right back up where he left off following his reinstatement on June 28.

Unfortunately for both him and Houston, though, that hasn't been the case.

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McCullers has struggled to regain his form since returning, with two of the three starts he's made on being rather disastrous.

He got tagged for eight earned runs in just 3.1 innings of work against the Chicago Cubs back on June 28, and he only lasted three innings on Friday against the Texas Rangers, giving up five earned runs in that outing.

Following this most recent letdown, McCullers now owns a 6.48 ERA and 1.656 WHIP this season across only 41.2 innings of work

He had a solid outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 4, tossing six innings of one-run ball against one of the deadliest lineups in all of baseball, but the fact that start was sandwiched between two abysmal showings takes a bit of the shine off of it.

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These recent struggles could simply be a matter of McCullers needing more reps on the mound to fully work back into form or they could point to something a bit more concerning for both him and the Astros.

Whatever the underlying cause may be, Houston will still be relying on the veteran to provide them with at least some form of consistency down the stretch, as the rest of the rotation is still racked with injuries.

If he is unable to do so, then there could be a rather uncomfortable conversation awaiting between the two parties come winter.

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