Astros' Lance McCullers: Likely out until July of '24
Rotowire
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Tuesday that McCullers (forearm) might not be ready to pitch again until early July of 2024, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCullers required surgery this past June to repair a torn right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right forearm. The 30-year-old hasn't appeared in a game at any level since the 2022 World Series and can apparently be ruled out for essentially the entire first half of the 2024 campaign.
McCullers (forearm) was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list by the Astros on Saturday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers is now officially off the 40-man roster, and the Astros used that room to acquire Joel Kuhnel from the Reds for cash considerations. McCullers is going to miss all of the 2023 season after undergoing a season-ending operation to repair a torn right flexor tendon, but he is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign.
Astros' Lance McCullers: Undergoes season-ending surgery
Rotowire
McCullers underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a torn right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right forearm, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Things had been trending in a bad direction for McCullers following another recent setback, and it turns out that surgery was necessary. The Astros expect McCullers to return to pitch in 2024, though it's not clear when exactly that might happen. McCullers will end up missing his second full season in last four years, as he was out for the entire 2019 campaign while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
McCullers (forearm) will get an MRI on Friday after reporting discomfort, Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet Southwest reports.
McCullers had been on target for a mid-July return before being shut down from throwing off a mound in late May. His new timetable remains unclear, but the Astros are hoping to have a better idea once the imaging results come in early next week. The 29-year-old righty has been shelved all season with a right forearm stain.
Astros' Lance McCullers: No longer throwing off mound
Rotowire
Astros manager Dusty Baker said Monday that McCullers (forearm) is no longer throwing off a mound, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. "We have to take it slow with Lance until we know that he's 100 percent. That's where it is right now," Baker said.
McCullers started throwing bullpen sessions in early May, but he wasn't looking overly sharp and was apparently still not feeling totally healthy. The right-hander had been aiming to return from the 15-day injured list around the All-Star break, but his timetable is very much up in the air now.
