Lance McCullers Jr.

ATC projections by Ariel Cohen. Steamer projections by Steamer Projections Blog. THE BAT projections by Derek Carty. Zeile Consensus projections by FantasyPros.

Fantasy Baseball News Last 90 Days

Astros Notes: Gurriel, McCullers, Bullpen

As Yuli Gurriel’s free agency lingered into the late stages of the offseason, many Astros fans wondered whether there might be potential for a reunion between the two parties. Houston GM Dana Brown candidly acknowledged last month that while the organization loved Gurriel as both a person and a player, it would be difficult to…

Mar 16 · MLB Trade Rumors Astros Marlins Jose Abreu Hunter Brown Austin Davis Matt Gage Yuli Gurriel Lance McCullers Jr. Parker Mushinski Blake Taylor closers

Lance McCullers Jr. To Throw Again Monday

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) will throw for a second time on Monday in the batting cages. It is McCullers' second throwing session in three days as he works to build his way back up after suffering a right forearm strain last month. The 29-year-old right-hander will open the 2023 season on the injured list, but he could make his season debut before the end of April, barring any setbacks along the way. His fantasy stock has fallen because of his injury, but McCullers is still worth a late-round flier in mixed leagues. Injuries have been an issue for him, and he appeared in just eight games in 2022 with a similar forearm injury that he initially suffered in the 2021 playoffs.

Mar 13 · Source via Astros Lance McCullers Jr.

Lance McCullers Jr. Throws On Saturday

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw 30 pitches off flat ground on Saturday for the first time since a bullpen session on Feb. 14. McCullers is dealing with a small muscle strain in his right forearm and will open the 2023 campaign on the injured list. The 29-year-old will now begin to build his arm back up, and if he doesn't suffer another setback, he could make his debut in the Astros' rotation around the end of April. Injuries continue to impede McCullers, but he has the stuff to be very useful for fantasy managers when he's healthy. He's worth a late-round flier in mixed leagues if you have room to stash him on the injured list for most of the first month of the season.

Mar 12 · Source via Astros Lance McCullers Jr.

Lance McCullers Jr. Still Has Not Resumed Throwing

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) still isn't throwing in spring training, according to manager Dusty Baker. McCullers suffered a right forearm strain three weeks ago during a bullpen session and has yet to resume throwing, and he's already been ruled out for Opening Day. Now fantasy managers want to know just how long McCullers will be out, but we don't know just yet. But the 29-year-old has plenty of injury history and is known as a slow healer, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him miss around the first month of the 2023 season, if not more. He dealt with a similar arm injury in 2022, so the Astros are going to be extremely cautious. It's causing McCullers' fantasy stock to fall considerably.

Mar 8 · Source via Astros Lance McCullers Jr.

Lance McCullers Jr. Not Playing Catch Yet

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) has yet to resume playing catch at spring training, according to manager Dusty Baker. McCullers won't be ready to go for Opening Day after a recent MRI exam showed a small muscle strain in his right forearm. It makes the 29-year-old right-hander a risky fantasy selection, but he could still be healthy for the majority of the 2022 season if he doesn't suffer any setbacks with his forearm moving forward. With Justin Verlander now in New York, McCullers' injury opens up a rotation spot to begin the year for young prospect Hunter Brown, who is worth looking into in deep mixed and AL-only leagues early on. McCullers continues to be an injury risk in fantasy, but when healthy, he has the ability to make a big difference on your pitching staff.

Mar 5 · Source via Astros Lance McCullers Jr.

Lance McCullers Jr. Won't Be Ready To Open Season

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) reportedly won't be ready for Opening Day, per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. Per McTaggart on Twitter on Wednesday morning: "McCullers had an MRI last night and there's no structural damage to elbow. He said it was a small muscle strain. He hopes to rehab and be able to throw 150 innings this year, but he'll be shut down for a few weeks." The 28-year-old pitched to a 2.27 ERA and a 3.49 FIP in 47.2 innings spanning eight starts for the Astros last season, logging four pitcher wins in the process. The veteran also registered 50 strikeouts and 22 walks. Houston's current rotation options include Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier and Hunter Brown.

Feb 22 · Source via Astros Lance McCullers Jr.

Lance McCullers Jr. Dealing With Arm Soreness

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said that starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (arm) experienced some arm soreness in camp, but the skipper didn't specify what kind of soreness exactly after McCullers threw a bullpen session on Tuesday. Baker isn't very concerned. It sounds as if the 29-year-old right-hander is dealing with the same forearm injury that he dealt with in 2022, which kept him from making his season debut until Aug. 13. But he was very good in his return in the second half, easing concerns about the forearm injury. Injuries are the biggest concern with McCullers -- he's never gone over 162 innings pitched in a single season -- but he's very intriguing for fantasy managers when he's healthy for the defending World Series champs. We'll keep a close eye on his arm this spring.

Feb 17 · Source via Astros Lance McCullers Jr.

Historic stats obtained free of charge from and are copyrighted by Retrosheet. ATC projections by Ariel Cohen. Steamer projections by Steamer Projections Blog. THE BAT projections by Derek Carty. Zeile Consensus projections by FantasyPros.