2 weeks agoHouston 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
2 weeks agoBrian 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.
--Alex CiullaSource: Brian McTaggart
2 weeks agoHouston 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.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Brian McTaggart
3 weeks agoHouston 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.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Brian McTaggart
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