Houston Astros Ace Hits Magic Number During Latest Injury Rehab Start

The Houston Astros may finally have a reinforcement coming for its starting rotation in the form of a former World Series star.

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

For Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., the goal has always been progress toward the goal of reaching the Majors again.

On Saturday, he might have cleared that final hurdle.

McCullers made his latest injury rehab start with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks as they hosted the Frisco RoughRiders. He was back on the mound after missing his last scheduled rehab start with an illness.

He put together a quality start. He threw five innings, giving up three hits and one walk while he struck out seven. He didn’t allow a run.

But one number stuck out — 71. That’s the number of pitches that McCullers threw in his outing.

That’s 10 more pitches than he threw in his last rehab start two Saturdays ago. That’s the sort of build-up that organizations want to see from starting pitchers as they prepare to make a return to the Majors.

Yes, per the Houston Chronicle, Saturday could have been McCullers’ final start in the minor leagues before he returns to the Astros. When that might happen isn’t clear. The earliest he could start on normal rest is Thursday when Houston has an off day.

After that, the Astros are on a six-game road trip to Chicago and Milwaukee. It’s possible the 28-year-old could pitch on that trip.

Whenever he pitches with the Astros, it will be his first regular season start since Oct. 3, 2022. That year he helped Houston win a World Series.

Thanks to the number of false starts in McCullers’ recovery from significant injuries, Houston has exercised extreme caution with their former All-Star and two-time World Series champion.

In 2023 spring training he was shut down after he suffered a muscle strain in his right arm. That eventually led to the flexor tendon surgery, which ended his 2023 season. Surgeons also removed some bone spurs from the elbow. McCullers said the surgery was a complete flexor tendon replacement, as opposed to a repair.

Last year McCullers had a setback during his throwing program and the Astros had to rule him out for the season, even as they were hoping he could pitch for them in September.

Houston drafted McCullers in the first round in 2012 after he was named the National Gatorade Player of the Year at Jesuit High School in Tampa, Fla.

He made his MLB debut in 2015 and quickly became a fixture in the Astros’ rotation, as he helped them win the World Series in both 2017 and 2022. In 2017 he was named to the American League All-Star team and finished 7-4 with a 4.25 ERA.

The following season he went 10-6 with a 3.86 ERA, followed by missing all of 2019 due to elbow surgery.

He had his best season in 2021, going 13-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts. He finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting.