The Houston Astros will probably be without Lance McCullers Jr. for the rest of the season.
McCullers, who is 30 years old, hasn’t played in a regular-season game since the 2022 World Series. Last summer, he had surgery to fix a flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his throwing arm. Unfortunately, he never got to start his rehab because of a setback in early July.
Injuries have been a big part of McCullers’ career. Since 2015, he’s pitched in 130 games with an ERA of 3.48 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.70 . Only once did he pitch more than 150 innings in one season, which was in 2021; his next highest was 128 innings back in 2018.
Astros’ Financial Commitment:
Before the start of the 2021 season, McCullers signed a five-year contract worth $85 million with the Astros. He’s still under contract until the end of the 2026 season and is owed $34 million over the next two years.
Fans might feel frustrated by this news given McCullers’ injury history.
The Astros have faced many injuries among their starting pitchers this year, which led them to trade for Yusei Kikuchi at the deadline. But there’s some good news: Justin Verlander participated in a simulated game on Sunday as part of his recovery process. He’s expected to make two minor-league rehab starts before returning to the Astros mid-month.
What do you think about all these injuries?
