Lance McCullers Jr. will not pitch for the Houston Astros in 2023, the team announced on Tuesday. McCullers had surgery on his right flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur, which was announced by Astros General Manager Dana Brown.
“After the injury happened in February, Lance worked his tail off to get back on the mound,” Brown said of McCullers. “This guy is a warrior and did everything in his power to get back. But each time he built himself up to an increased pitch total off the mound, the pain would come back. It’s unfortunate, but we look forward to him being back on the mound next season.”
McCullers had tried to work his way back during the offseason, but after his most recent setback, it became unclear whether or not he would be able to return. For his career, he has a 3.48 ERA and has been an instrumental piece of the Astros rotation since 2015, despite battling multiple injuries.