Astros under pressure as Lance McCullers Jr heads to 15 day IL
The Houston Astros got hit with another big loss Sunday, when veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. was placed on the 15-day injured list because of a right foot sprain. The transaction, backdated to June 13, comes right as the team embarks on a critical run of 13 consecutive games without a day off.
This represents a new hurdle for McCullers, who has already fought his way back from multiple arm surgeries, and it also means the Astros must adjust their now even-battered starting rotation yet again.
Lance McCullers Jr injury
adds to Houston
Astros pitching concerns
It was a return — a slow one — from a season-ending October 2022 injury for McCullers, whose 2025 season had been a series of steps back. After undergoing flexor tendon and bone spur surgeries that cost him all of 2023 and 2024, he returned to make seven starts this season, going 1–2 with a 4.91 ERA in 29⅓ innings.
His play was still working itself into form, but he still added another layer to a Houston rotation that was already down a few regulars in the game.
Now, his latest injury makes the challenges the club faces even greater. This season, Houston has relied heavily on rookies and spot starters, as Colton Gordon and Brandon Walter have stepped into the fray as Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown have continued to fill in as veteran leadership.
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The lack of rotation depth is putting pressure not only on manager Joe Espada, but also the front office to make a well-weighed which creates lots of decisions.
Astros rotation reshuffle begins after McCullers Jr lands on IL
Rookie Ryan Gusto is in line to start in place of McCullers, along with veteran righty Jason Alexander being recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to start Tuesday. Though numbers are numbers, Alexander has put together a pretty impressive year in the minors: 1.74 ERA, but at the same time, his MLB numbers (6.37 ERA) are hard to ignore when it comes to sustainability at the highest level.
With the Astros at 41–30 and in first place in the AL West, they are entering a tough stretch of their schedule. How the rest of the team adjusts to life without McCullers is one of the biggest storylines heading into July, and it will surely test the front office's commitment toward a six-man rotation.
Also Read:
What led Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. to hire security for himself and his daughter
Espada said after the announcement, there would be pressure:
"We have depth, but it's being tested on a daily basis. We'll see who steps up.'
Houston is eyeing a playoff spot and a division championship with no more room for missteps, and that gives McCullers' recovery timetable even greater importance.
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