The Houston Astros could return one of their top arms at some point this season as Lance McCullers Jr. gave an update on where he's currently at in his recovery process.
McCullers has three years left on his five-year contract, and when he's healthy, he's been the perfect piece to an already impressive rotation.
The right-hander hasn't pitched since the 2022 season when he posted a 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 innings pitched. He was lights out before attempting to rehab without surgery. In June of 2023, he had surgery to repair his flexor tendon and remove a bone spur.
It's been nearly two seasons since he's been on the mound and the hope is that changes this season.
McCullers had the following to say about how he's feeling, according to Leah Vann of Chron.com.
"We're almost two months into catch play and it's going really well. I'm at a really good point in the rehab where I feel very confident in what we're doing and how we're progressing—and I'm looking forward to coming back."
After dealing with health problems for most of his career, this surgery could fix some of the long-term issues he's faced.
It could take some time for him to get back to being the same type of pitcher he was prior to these injuries. Fortunately for him, the Houston rotation should be able to do hold it down until he can return 100-percent healthy.
McCullers says that he doesn't like to put dates on things, but he wants to be back by July. Returning then would be a huge boost for the Astros as they get ready for their playoff push.
Having high-level arms available and healthy is the biggest priority for any contending team and hopefully, McCullers can provide that for Houston.
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