Lance McCullers Jr.'s Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

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.

Houston Astros right-handers Luis Garcia (elbow) and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) are on track to return to the active roster in the second half of the 2024 season, according to general manager Dana Brown. Garcia is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May after allowing 12 earned runs with 10 walks and 31 strikeouts in 27 innings over six starts last year. The 27-year-old misses plenty of bats and could still be worth stashing as a late-round flier in deep-mixed fantasy leagues this spring. McCullers missed all of 2023 after having surgery to fix a torn flexor tendon in June. The 30-year-old remains intriguing in fantasy, but keep in mind he hasn't pitched since the World Series in 2022. Fantasy managers will want to temper expectations for both Garcia and McCullers once they return in the second half.

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is throwing from 80 feet on flat ground and said that he's feeling good. He also said that a return later this summer seems feasible. McCullers had surgery to fix a torn flexor tendon in his right arm in June and was forced to miss all of the 2023 season. The 30-year-old oft-injured pitcher is making progress this offseason, though, but at best, he's going to pitch half a season in 2024. When healthy, McCullers will be a starting-rotation staple for the Astros, but he's probably going to need to knock off some rust and Houston isn't going to rush him back. McCullers hasn't pitched at any level since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. He might be worth stashing in some fantasy leagues, but there's no telling which version of McCullers we're going to get when he returns in the second half of 2024.