Astros' Lance McCullers Jr. to miss World Series vs. Braves

The Houston Astros will enter Game 1 of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves knowing they will be without a key right-hander available for the rotation or out of the bullpen. 

Per The Athletic, Lance McCullers Jr. confirmed Monday that he won't pitch in the World Series because of the forearm injury he suffered during the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox back on Oct. 12. The news had been expected, as McCullers was unable to pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship Series and hadn't been cleared to begin even throwing exercises. 

The 28-year-old likely needs somewhere between three to five additional weeks of rest. During the regular season, McCullers went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA across 162.1 innings of work. 

"We remained hopeful, we tried to push it as far as we could but just couldn’t make it back to throwing," McCullers explained about his recovery. It's believed he'll be good to go for the start of spring training early next year. 

Lefty Framber Valdez is on track to start Game 1 for Houston on Tuesday night.