Injured Houston Astros Ace’s Final Step May Lead to MLB Season Debut

The Houston Astros may not send their oft-injured right-handed starter back to the minors for an important reason.

Mar 28, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. warms up before the game against the New York Yankees at Minute Maid Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros have an open spot in their rotation for Wednesday. Lance McCullers Jr. won’t be taking that spot.

But his time could be coming soon.

The oft-injured right-hander, who hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since 2022, due to injuries, will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday, per his manager Joe Espada, and reported by beat writers following the team, including The Athletic.

Based on that bullpen session, the Astros will decide whether to send the 31-year-old back to the minors for one more rehab game or add him to the Major League roster and slot him into the rotation.

Espada indicated that the organization is leaning toward having McCullers make his next start with the Astros.

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.

McCullers made his latest injury rehab start with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks on Saturday. 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. He also threw 71 pitches. That was 10 more pitches than he threw in his last rehab start two Saturdays ago.

It’s a good build-up for a Major League pitcher coming off two years of injuries. It could allow him to get through four or five innings in an MLB game.

The Astros start a six-game road trip to Chicago and Milwaukee later this week. It’s possible he could pitch on that trip.

Houston would just like to see him on a Major League mound.

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.