Lance McCullers Jr. DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

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.