McCullers (1-2) took the loss Tuesday, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks over five innings in a 4-2 loss against the White Sox. He struck out six.
The right-hander struggled to find a rhythm Tuesday, with Luis Robert giving him particular trouble via an RBI double in the second inning and a solo homer in the fourth inning. McCullers has had an inconsistent season, recording scoreless outings in three of his seven starts but allowing multiple runs in the other four -- including a rough appearance against the Reds in which he surrendered seven runs in just one-third of an inning. Statistically, the 31-year-old owns a 4.44 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 24.1 innings.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Start officially delayed
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Manager Joe Espada said Friday that the Astros are giving McCullers additional rest, and he won't make his usual turn through the rotation, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCullers' typical turn in the rotation would come Sunday against Cleveland but the start is now pushed back and expected to occur Tuesday against the White Sox. Espada did not name a starter for Sunday's contest.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Likely pushed back to next week
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McCullers is not listed among the Astros' probable pitchers for this weekend's series in Cleveland, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCullers' next turn comes up Sunday, but the team is listing TBA in that slot for now. Manager Joe Espada did not rule out McCullers ultimately taking the ball that day, but it appears Tuesday versus the White Sox is likelier for the righty after McCullers went six innings in each of his last two outings. McCullers hadn't pitched in the majors since 2022 due to various injuries before rejoining Houston's rotation in early May.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Fans seven in win
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McCullers (1-1) allowed two hits and a walk over six shutout frames Tuesday, striking out seven and earning a win over Pittsburgh.
McCullers didn't face much of a threat as he cruised through six scoreless innings Tuesday. He threw 61 of 96 pitches for strikes and earned his first MLB win since September of 2022. Since coughing up seven runs while recording just one out against the Reds on May 10, McCullers has posted an impressive 2.21 ERA with a 29:6 K:BB across 20.1 frames. He dropped his season ERA to 4.44 across 24.1 innings. McCullers' next start is projected to be in Cleveland.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Strikes out 12 in quality start
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McCullers allowed three runs on five hits and a walk over six innings in a no-decision Wednesday against the A's. He struck out 12.
McCullers delivered a season-high six innings Wednesday, throwing 102 pitches, as he continues to round into form following a two-year absence. The 31-year-old right-hander has certainly found his swing-and-miss stuff -- he's recorded 20 punchouts across 10.1 innings in his last two starts. Overall, McCullers is 0-1 with a 5.89 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 26:11 K:BB through his first five outings (18.1 innings). McCullers is currently lined up for an enticing road matchup with the Pirates in his next start.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Strikes out eight in no-decision
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McCullers allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out eight over 4.1 innings in a no-decision Thursday versus the Mariners.
McCullers pitched into the fifth inning for the third time in four starts, but he once again had trouble with traffic on the basepaths. He's walked three batters in three of his starts, though the eight strikeouts more than doubled his season total. Still, he landed just 52 of 91 pitches for strikes in this outing. McCullers is at a 6.57 ERA, 2.03 WHIP and 14:10 K:BB across 12.1 innings so far in his first major-league action since 2022. Walks were an issue for him in 2021 and 2022 as well, but not to this extent, and he'll be tough to trust in fantasy until he can cut down on the free passes. His next start is tentatively projected to be at home versus the Athletics.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Inefficient in no-decision
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McCullers came away with a no-decision in Friday's 6-3 win over the Rangers, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and a walk over four innings. He struck out two.
The right-hander also plunked Marcus Semien and uncorked a wild pitch, and McCullers left the mound in the line for the loss after 83 pitches (53 strikes). A six-run rally in the seventh by the Astros got him off the hook, however. The four frames still represented McCullers' longest outing since coming off the IL at the beginning of May, and his inability to go deep into games yet is understandable considering his two-year layoff due to injuries. He'll try to improve his efficiency in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Mariners.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Can't escape first inning
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McCullers (0-1) took the loss against the Reds on Saturday, allowing seven runs on three hits and three walks while recording just one out in the first inning. He did not record a strikeout.
It was a brutal outing for McCullers in just his second start since being activated from the 15-day injured list May 4. He gave up a three-run home run to Elly De La Cruz, and after recording a groundout, McCullers proceeded to put the next four batters he faced on base before being mercifully lifted for Logan VanWey. McCullers will look to put Saturday's outing behind him and hit the reset button ahead of his next start, tentatively slated for next week on the road against the Rangers.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Lasts 3.2 frames in return
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McCullers did not factor into the decision in Sunday's rain-shortened loss to the White Sox, allowing three hits and walks apiece over 3.2 scoreless innings. He struck out four.
In his first outing back from 2023 flexor tendon surgery, McCullers was inefficient against a lowly Chicago lineup, requiring 87 pitches to get 11 outs. Despite not allowing a run, the Houston right-hander generated just six whiffs as his sinker averaged 91.8 mph, down from his 2022 average of 93.1 mph. Given his extended absence, it's not surprising that McCullers might require a few outings to shake off the rust. He currently lines up to make his next start against Cincinnati at home next weekend.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Activated for season debut
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The Astros reinstated McCullers (forearm) from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Sunday against the White Sox in Chicago.
McCullers will be making his first appearance for Houston since the 2022 World Series, as he missed the past two seasons while recovering from June 2023 flexor tendon surgery. He's enjoyed a clean bill of health since the start of spring training and wrapped up his rehab assignment on a high note April 26, striking out seven over five scoreless innings and 71 pitches for Double-A Corpus Christi. As a result, he could be capped at 80-90 pitches in his season debut. McCullers is likely to be kept on a five-day rest schedule between starts initially, and the Astros are expected to transition into a six-man rotation during busier portions of their schedule to accommodate him.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Making season debut Sunday
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McCullers (forearm) will return from the 15-day injured list Sunday and will start in the Astros' series finale against the White Sox in Chicago, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCullers will be taking the hill for the Astros for the first time since the 2022 World Series, after a prolonged recovery from June 2023 flexor tendon surgery kept him out of action for the entirety of the past two seasons. The right-hander was cleared to resume facing hitters in late February and steadily ramped up to close out spring training before beginning a minor-league rehab assignment March 30. Across four starts between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land, McCullers logged a 2.84 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 16:6 K:BB in 12.2 frames, including a five-inning scoreless appearance in his final outing Saturday. He built up to 71 pitches in that start, so McCullers could be operating with a slight workload restriction in his 2025 Astros debut. Houston may also be keen on building extra rest for McCullers between starts, so it wouldn't be surprising if the team expanded its rotation to six men for the next few weeks.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Bullpen session on tap
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Manager Joe Espada said McCullers (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday before the Astros determine whether he's ready to be reinstated from the injured list, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The right-hander has a 2.84 ERA and 16:6 K:BB across four rehab outings, and if all goes well Wednesday, he could make his next start in the majors. McCullers hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2022 while recovering from arm issues, so it's a good idea to keep expectations in check despite his track record as a top-level starter prior to the injuries.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Sharp with Corpus Christi
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McCullers (forearm) allowed three hits and one walk while striking out seven across five scoreless innings in Saturday's rehab outing with Double-A Corpus Christi.
McCullers had a two-week gap between rehab outings after dealing with an illness. He managed to keep ramping up, however, as he threw 71 pitches and delivered his longest start of the season. There has been no official word from the club, but McCullers could slot into the Houston rotation next weekend against the White Sox.
McCullers (forearm) will make a rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday, MLB.com reports.
McCullers was scratched from a scheduled rehab outing last week due to a stomach bug, but he's since thrown a 33-pitch bullpen session. He was able to work four innings in a rehab outing April 12, so he is nearing a traditional starter's workload and potential activation from the injured list.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Throws bullpen session
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McCullers (forearm) threw 33 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
McCullers was scratched from a scheduled rehab start Saturday due to illness. He is expected to make a start with Double-A Corpus Christi in the coming days, though the appearance has not been officially scheduled.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: To resume mound work soon
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The Astros hope McCullers (forearm/illness) will be ready to throw a bullpen session Tuesday or Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers had to be scratched from his last scheduled rehab appearance this past Friday due to a stomach bug. If the right-hander is able to get through a bullpen session in the coming days without issue, he'll resume his rehab assignment this weekend. McCullers had been tracking toward a season debut by late April, but that timeline could be pushed back a bit.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Scratched from rehab start
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McCullers (forearm) was scratched from his rehab start at Double-A Corpus Christi on Friday due to an illness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers is currently fighting off a case of the stomach flu and will presumably make his next rehab start as soon as he's feeling better. His next outing is expected to be his final appearance in the minors if all goes well, which puts him on track to make his season debut for the Astros near the end of April.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Could debut in late April
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General manager Dana Brown said Sunday that the Astros' series with the Royals that runs from April 25 through 27 could be a potential target for McCullers' (forearm) season debut, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports. "That would be pretty encouraging, but we don't want to rush it," Brown said.
McCullers made the third start of his minor-league rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Sugar Land and delivered his best performance yet; he struck out five over four scoreless innings, yielding just one hit and one walk. He covered 61 pitches in the outing, inducing 13 whiffs while averaging 91.4 miles per hour on his 13 sinkers, 80.5 mph on 13 curveballs and 85.1 mph on 12 sliders, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. All of those velocity readings were a couple ticks below his averages from his last healthy season in 2022, but McCullers noted that it's not an unexpected development, and he's happy overall with how his surgically repaired forearm has been responding coming out of his first three rehab starts. According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, McCullers will shift his rehab to Double-A Corpus Christi for his fourth rehab start next weekend. He's expected to reach 75-to-80 pitches in that outing, and if all goes well, he'll be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his 2025 Astros debut during the Kansas City series.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Another rehab start Saturday
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McCullers (forearm) will make his third rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, MLB.com reports.
McCullers wasn't sharp in his second outing with Double-A Corpus Christi on April 5, though he did build up to 50 pitches. The Astros are shorthanded in their rotation in the absence of Spencer Arrighetti (thumb), so McCullers could be back in the big-league rotation soon with a couple of strong rehab outings.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Walks three in second rehab start
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McCullers (forearm) covered 1.2 innings in his rehab start Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi, striking out one batter while allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks.
McCullers made the second start of his rehab assignment after covering two innings for Triple-A Sugar Land on March 30. Though his command and control left much to be desired Saturday, McCullers was still able to build up to 50 pitches after tossing 35 in his previous outing. He'll make his next appearance for Triple-A Sugar Land this Saturday and may require just one additional rehab outing after that before the Astros potentially bring him back from the 15-day injured list. Houston could look to McCullers to fill the opening in the rotation created by the loss of Spencer Arrighetti, who appears headed for an extended absence after fracturing his right thumb Monday.
