Astros' Lance McCullers: Throwing off slope of mound
Rotowire
McCullers (forearm) has begun throwing off the slope of the mound in recent days, MLB.com reports.
McCullers is recovering from surgery to repair his flexor tendon, though his buildup will be significant as he has not appeared in a big-league game since the 2022 postseason. There is no precise timetable for his return to the mound, but it was previously reported that McCullers was hoping to be activated in late June.
The Astros placed McCullers (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Tayler Scott, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Sugar Land. McCullers is expected to be out until late June or early July as he continues his recovery from right elbow surgery.
McCullers (forearm) said Monday that he's aiming to make his season debut in "late June, early July" Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCullers has been limited to flat-ground throwing during spring training after undergoing surgery June 13 to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and remove a bone spur. He noted that his procedure carries an estimated recovery timeline of 13-to-15 months, so his target return date of late June or early July would mark the short end of that timeframe. Whether McCullers will realistically be available at that point in the calendar won't become clear for several more months, as he'll still have multiple checkpoints to hit in his recovery before he's a realistic option for the Houston rotation. The Astros haven't indicated when McCullers might be ready to advance to tossing bullpen sessions, which represents the next phase of his throwing program.
McCullers (forearm) said Saturday that he expects to return toward the end of the summer, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCullers missed all of 2023 while dealing with a right forearm injury and opted to undergo surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in June. McCullers resumed throwing on flat ground from 80 feet out during the offseason and has yet to run into any issues. The 30-year-old righty still has a long way to go in his rehab process, but he could provide a significant boost to Houston's rotation or give the team another multi-inning relief option late in the season.
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.
