McCullers throws final live BP session with sights on return to game action
Brian McTaggart
@brianmctaggartWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The next time Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. takes the mound with hitters in the batter¡¯s box, it will mark his first game action since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia -- a span of about 28 months. Sure, it will be Spring Training, but it will be a big day nonetheless.
McCullers took the final step before getting into a Grapefruit League game when he threw 30 pitches in his third live batting practice session on a back field Wednesday at CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. He faced teammates Luis Guillorme, Zack Short and Brendan Rodgers and struck out four, walked one and gave up three balls in play.
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s exciting, but one day at a time,¡± McCullers said. ¡°Overall, I¡¯m still working on some stuff delivery- and four-seam related, but it¡¯s a never-ending tinker.¡±
McCullers could start for the Astros on Tuesday against the Nationals or Wednesday against the Mets, both of which are in West Palm Beach.
¡°If there¡¯s a slot for me to get in there and there¡¯s not one of the guys who¡¯s truly preparing to get ready to roll, I¡¯ll make that start,¡± he said. ¡°If there is, it could be a different day, it could be a game on the back fields. We¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±
McCullers, who underwent surgery in June 2023 to repair a flexor tendon and suffered a setback last season, said he hit 94 mph with his fastball while mixing in his curveball, sinker and changeup.
¡°I was really happy with today,¡± McCullers said. ¡°The velo was pretty solid and it held the whole time, which was nice to see. Offspeed was really sharp. Hitters had good things to say about the way the offspeed was coming out of the hand. I think, at this point, it¡¯s really about kind of continuing to sharpen up a little bit and [then] jump into the deep ends of the game. There¡¯s not a lot of hiding out there. Just get into a game and start building from there.¡¯
McCullers, 31, last pitched a full season in 2021, going 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 162 1/3 innings on his way to finishing seventh in AL Cy Young Award voting. He injured his flexor tendon in Game 4 of the ¡®21 AL Division Series and spent most of the next season rehabbing. His flexor tendon surgery wound up being more complicated than planned because the flexor tendon was off the bone, which meant reattaching with screws and an internal brace.
McCullers is one of three starting pitchers the Astros hope to get back from injury this year. Luis Garcia, who had Tommy John surgery in May 2023, is throwing bullpens in camp and will start the season on the injured list. Cristian Javier, who had Tommy John surgery in June 2024, could return in the second half of the season.