Important Lance McCullers Jr. injury update will catch Astros fans’ attention

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. faced hitters in a live batting practice session on Friday for the first time since being out of action with a shoulder issue in May.

McCullers threw 25 pitches before Houston’s game at Daikin Park, working against teammates Taylor Trammell and Brice Matthews. During the session, he combined a fastball that sat in the low 90s with his slider. The veteran pitcher revealed that the injury was a rotator cuff impingement that had been affecting him for several outings before he was placed on the injured list on May 16 because of right shoulder inflammation.

The live batting practice was an important step in McCullers’ recovery process. His next assignment is expected to be a minor league rehabilitation start, with a rehab outing scheduled for next week.

Before landing on the injured list, McCullers made eight starts this season, compiling a 2-3 record with a 6.86 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. The Astros’ rotation could use reinforcements, as the team entered the weekend with a 4.87 team ERA, the third-highest in Major League Baseball.

McCullers is in the final season of his five-year, $85 million contract. He returned to the mound in 2025 after a two-and-a-half-year absence and finished last season with a 6.51 ERA across 55 1/3 innings in 16 appearances, including 13 starts. His comeback campaign was interrupted by multiple injuries, including a right foot sprain in June, a blister on his pitching hand that kept him off the mound in July and August, and right-hand soreness in September.

Houston also received encouraging news regarding right-hander Ronel Blanco. Recovering from Tommy John surgery after suffering a torn UCL, Blanco threw three scoreless innings for the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Astros on Friday. He allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five batters.

Blanco was coming off a standout 2024 season in which he finished with a 13-6 record with a 2.80 ERA, logged 167.1 innings, and threw a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in his first start of the year. He went 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in nine starts during 2025 before undergoing surgery. With McCullers, Blanco, and Cristian Javier all progressing through recovery programs, the Astros may soon have much-needed help returning to its injury-riddled pitching staff.

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