Embattled Houston Astros Star Set to Move Injury Rehab Closer to Home
The road back for injured Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. will likely continue this weekend in a more familiar place — Sugar Land.
While the Astros made their way back to Houston for an exhibition game and final tune-ups for the regular season, McCullers stayed behind in West Palm Beach, Fla., to continue his rehab from the flexor tendon surgery and recovery that shut him down last season.
Per the Houston Chronicle, McCullers threw 33 pitches in 1.2 innings of work in a minor-league game on Monday. Manager Joe Espada told reporters that the outing went well, so well in fact that Houston wants the pitcher to continue his rehab with the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys.
The Athletic reported that McCullers threw on Monday on a six-day schedule. If the Astros maintain that cadence, then the 31-year-old right-hander could start Sunday with the Space Cowboys in Sugar Land, though the Astros have not formally announced he’ll pitch that day.
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, who hasn’t pitched in a regular-season game since 2022.
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 enters this season with a rotation led by opening-day starter Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco. Along with McCullers, the Astros are hopeful that two other injured pitchers will recover in time to help this season — Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier. Both had Tommy John surgery.
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.
