Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) was impressive on the mound during his rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday. The right-hander struck over five batters over four shutout innings during this outing. McCullers allowed one hit and one walk, but was perfect outside of that. He threw 42 of his 61 pitches for strikes and appears to be headed in the right direction. The expectation is that McCullers will probably need to make at least one more rehab start. Hopefully, McCullers can get back on the big league mound by the end of April.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) allowed two earned runs and struck out three batters in his two innings of work in his first minor-league rehab start on Sunday at Triple-A Sugar Land. McCullers hit 94.9 mph on the radar gun in what was overall a positive outing, especially when considering it was his first real game action since the World Series in 2022. The 31-year-old also threw a scoreless inning in his only action in the Grapefruit League during spring training. McCullers had surgery to fix the flexor tendon in his right arm back in 2023 and hasn't pitched since after having multiple setbacks along the way. It's looking he may finally make his return to Houston's starting rotation in 2025, but he has a ways to go still, and the Astros are going to take their time. McCullers deserves to be stashed in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues, but his fantasy upside will be limited while on a strict workload this year.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will make his next minor-league rehab start this Sunday at Triple-A Sugar Land. It will be McCullers' first regular-season start since the 2022 World Series. It's unclear exactly when the 31-year-old veteran will be cleared to rejoin Houston's big-league rotation, but they certainly won't be rushing him based on how much time he's missed over the last few seasons because of arm injuries. McCullers has now recovered from two similar injuries on the flexor tendon in his right forearm, and there's certainly no guarantee he'll suddenly return to his pre-injury form, when he was once a dependable piece of the Astros' starting rotation. At best, he'll be a flier in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues when he returns. In his last full season in 2021, McCullers had a 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 185 K's and 76 walks in 162 1/3 innings pitched.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) had a successful Grapefruit League debut in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Nationals. McCullers Jr. threw 13 pitches in a scoreless inning, hitting one batter while mainly featuring a four-seam fastball and a changeup. This was the 31-year-old's first game action since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series and he has been recovering from flexor tendon surgery since. Manager Joe Espada said that McCullers Jr. wanted to go out to pitch a second inning and that he was pleased with his performance. McCullers Jr. has been a useful fantasy option throughout his career, but he still has a long way to go before proving that he can be a reliable option again for the Astros and fantasy managers.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will make his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, according to manager Joe Espada. McCullers has been cleared to pitch in his first game of the spring after looking good recently in a live batting practice session in which he touched 94 mph on the radar gun. The 31-year-old veteran last pitched in a game for the Astros in the World Series back in October of 2022, so it's been a while. He's making good progress this spring, but fantasy managers know by now not to get their hopes up. McCullers will have a rotation spot waiting for him during the regular season as long as he doesn't have any setbacks, but he will begin the year on the injured list. McCullers proved before that he's fantasy relevant in all leagues when he's healthy, but his lengthy injury history and innings limit this year will limit his upside in 2025.

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) could pitch in a Grapefruit League game as early as next week. The 31-year-old last pitched in big-league action during Game 3 of the 2022 World Series and has just 47.2 regular-season innings of work since the end of 2021. McCullers Jr. underwent surgery in June of 2023 to repair a flexor tendon and had a setback during his rehab in 2024, keeping him out for the entirety of both seasons. It's excellent news for the veteran and a significant step in the right direction. "Yeah, it's exciting, but one day at a time," said McCullers Jr. The lefty is currently just inside the top 400 in ADP regarding fantasy drafts, but that could change over the next few weeks if he pitches well in Grapefruit League action.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will throw his final live bullpen session on Wednesday before making his spring debut. McCullers has been sidelined since the 2022 season since undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right forearm. However, it appears McCullers is nearing the end of his lengthy recovery process. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status after Wednesday's bullpen session as he could be cleared to make his spring debut shortly after. Even though the 31-year-old will open the season on the injured list, he may not miss much time in the regular season given his current status. In the 2022 season, the 31-year-old logged 47 2/3 innings with a strong 2.27 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP. When he does return to the bump, he should have a role in the starting rotation.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) threw a successful live bullpen session on Friday. The right-hander threw around 20 pitches without any issues, so McCullers might not need many more throwing sessions. The team plans to have McCullers throw one more bullpen session before possibly getting him into game action. The hope is that the right-hander will be able to pitch in the Astros rotation by the end of April or early May.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw around 23 or 24 pitches in his second live batting practice session of camp on Friday and said it went well. McCullers' first live batting practice session came last Saturday, and he was able to mix in his curveball, sinker and changeup in addition to his fastball. It's good news for the 31-year-old oft-injured hurler, but he still has a ways to go before fantasy managers will take notice. McCullers is hoping to have three more live BP sessions before potentially getting into a Grapefruit League game before the end of spring training. He did not pitch at all in 2024 while recovering from flexor tendon surgery on his right forearm and has not pitched in a big-league game since the 2022 World Series. McCullers was a dependable rotation arm for Houston before his injuries, but now he's just hoping to return to a major-league mound after multiple arm surgeries.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw live batting practice on Saturday. The right-hander threw 20 pitches and hit 94.7 mph on his fastball. He was able to mix in his curveball, changeup, and sinker. The 31-year-old underwent surgery to repair a flexor tendon. He faced a setback last season but appears to be on track to return to the big league mound. The 31-year-old last saw MLB action during the 2022 campaign. During this season, McCullers held a 2.27 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP across 47 2/3 innings. He tallied 50 punchouts. In 2021, McCullers posted a 3.16 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP across a career-high 162 1/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression as he could be nearing his Grapefruit League debut. When cleared to return, he should earn a spot in the starting rotation.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Saturday in camp for the first time since recovering from surgery that he had in June of 2023 to fix his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur. It's been a long time coming for the 31-year-old hurler, but he's already been ruled out for Opening Day and really cannot be trusted in fantasy until he's actually back on the mound performing in big league games. Hopefully we'll get a look at McCullers in Grapefruit League games later this spring, but it's hard to have any expectations for an injury-plagued pitcher that hasn't pitched in an MLB game since the World Series in 2022. McCullers should be in Houston's rotation in 2025 if he's actually healthy, but given all the time he's missed the last few years, the upside will be limited because of what will be a strict innings limit.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw a bullpen session on Monday. This was an essential step for him before facing live hitters. He is expected to face live hitters this weekend. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he works his way back from forearm soreness. The right-hander has not pitched in a game since the 2022 campaign due to numerous arm injuries. The 31-year-old is not expected to be ready for Opening Day but could return during the first half of the 2025 season if he continues this current pace. In 2022, the right-hander posted a strong 2.27 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across 47 2/3 innings. He tallied 50 punchouts but held a high 11.3 percent walk rate. When McCullers is cleared to return to the majors, he will likely compete for a spot in the back of the rotation. During the start of the season, Hayden Wesneski should receive several starting opportunities while McCullers is sidelined.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is hoping to pitch in Grapefruit League games toward the end of spring training, after which he's hoping to go on a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. McCullers has already thrown seven bullpen sessions and is feeling good, but there's no exact timeline for when he might rejoin Houston's starting rotation in the regular season. The 31-year-old veteran can be avoided by fantasy managers in most mixed leagues based solely on the fact that he hasn't thrown a pitch in an MLB game since the 2022 World Series due to forearm issues. He had surgery in June of 2023 to fix his flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur and had another setback last year. McCullers is a complete gamble in AL-only leagues.

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Houston Astros starting pitchers Luis Garcia (elbow) and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will not be ready for Opening Day. McTaggart noted that both pitchers are throwing but will need additional time before they are cleared for major league action. Garcia was sidelined during the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2023. McCullers underwent surgery to repair his right flexor tendon in June 2023. Garcia posted a 3.72 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP across 157 2/3 innings during the 2022 season. McCullers held a 3.16 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP through 162 innings during the same season. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor their status during spring training as they will both likely contend for a spot in the rotation when they are cleared to return. While they are sidelined, newly acquired Hayden Wesneski will likely have a spot in the rotation during the start of the season.

According to MLB.com, Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow/forearm) is throwing off the mound and hopes to return early in the 2025 season. The 31-year-old underwent surgery to repair his right flexor in June of 2023 but faced a setback last season due to soreness. As a result, McCullers has not pitched in a major league game since 2022 but could be nearing a return. In 2022, the right-hander posted a 2.27 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across 47 2/3 innings of work. During this stint, he struck out 50 batters and generated a solid 32.5% hard-hit and 50.4% barrel rates. During his last complete season in 2021, McCullers posted a 3.16 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP across 162 1/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers in deeper AL-only formats should continue to monitor his progression, as he could be a candidate to rejoin the rotation sometime in early 2025.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) had right-forearm surgery in June of last year to fix his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur, but he suffered a setback in July of this year and was shut down for the rest of the season. McCullers hasn't pitched since the 2022 World Series but is expected to resume throwing at the end of September. The good news for the oft-injured 30-year-old hurler is that no new structural damage was found in his right arm before he was shut down, so if he can avoid further setbacks this offseason, he could be ready to roll for the start of the 2025 campaign. The former first-rounder in 2012 was an All-Star in 2017 and has always had plenty of fantasy intrigue with a 26.5% career strikeout rate, but it's hard to put too much faith into a pitcher that consistently has dealt with arm injuries in recent seasons.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) has been throwing off a mound and has hit the mid-80s with his fastball while adding in some changeups. His next step will be to add in some breaking pitches to build up his pitch count and intensity in the coming weeks. McCullers didn't pitch at all in 2023 after having surgery on June 13 to fix his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his right elbow. He had rehabbed to the point that he was close to facing hitters in mid-May of last year, but he had another setback that ultimately led to surgery. It's positive news for the 30-year-old starter, but McCullers still has a ways to go and probably won't start a minor-league rehab assignment for around another month, so fantasy managers in shallow mixed leagues can leave him to the waiver wire for now. In a best-case scenario, McCullers won't be back with Houston until after the All-Star break.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw 10 fastballs off of the mound's rubber on Saturday. He is expected to return from forearm surgery sometime around midseason after not pitching at all in 2023. The Astros have had terrible luck with injuries to their rotation so far this season, so McCullers would likely jump back into a starting spot when he returns. He is not a priority stash at this point, but fantasy managers with IL space in deeper leagues could scoop him up if he is available.

Houston Astros pitchers Luis Garcia (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow), Jose Urquidy (forearm) and Penn Murfee (elbow) all played catch at Minute Maid Park on Monday. Left-hander Framber Valdez (elbow) is scheduled to play catch Tuesday. Garcia, McCullers and Murfee are all currently on the 60-day injured list. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May and isn't expected to be an option for the 'Stros until around midseason at least. McCullers, 30, is expected to be out until late June or early July as he recovers from right-elbow surgery. After missing a huge chunk of last season, the 28-year-old Urquidy has now been out almost a month with a right-forearm strain. Barring a setback, he should be the first of this group to return for Houston's rotation.

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is targeting a "late June, early July" return. He underwent flexor tendon surgery in June, which had a 13-15 month recovery. His goal is to aim for that 13th-month timeline. McCullers hasn't pitched at any level since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. The 30-year-old posted a 2.27 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 50:22 K: BB across 47 2/3 innings in 2022. McCullers will continue to rehab, but it's unclear when he will be cleared and become an integral part of Houston's rotation again. For fantasy leagues with an injured list spot, managers in deep leagues can stash McCullers on the IL and hope he returns to action around the All-Star break.