FILE - Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. throws a bullpen session during a spring training baseball practice Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
FILE - Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. waits to talk with the media Saturday, June 17, 2023, in Houston, after surgery on his pitching arm earlier in the week. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. to make long-awaited return to the mound on Sunday
HOUSTON (AP) 鈥 Lance McCullers Jr is to start Sunday for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia.
FILE - Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. throws a bullpen session during a spring training baseball practice Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
HOUSTON (AP) 鈥 Lance McCullers Jr is to start Sunday for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to have him on the mound on Sunday,鈥 Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday. 鈥淗e鈥檚 worked his tail off to get back to this point, and this whole entire team and this city should be excited to get Lance back.鈥
An All-Star in 2018, McCullers had surgery on June 13, 2023, to repair his right flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur. The 31-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session last June but had a setback and was shut down for the year. He has made four minor league rehab starts this year, allowing four runs and 10 hits over 12 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts and six walks.
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In his last appearance, he struck out seven in five shutout innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.
鈥淢y last two outings I鈥檝e felt really good, my stuff has been pretty crisp,鈥 McCullers said.
He is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons, all with Houston. McCullers first injured his flexor tendon while pitching on short rest during the 2021 AL Division Series. He missed the first four months of the 2022 season.
鈥淏een waiting for it for a long time,鈥 McCullers said. 鈥淎lmost feel like I鈥檓 making my debut in some aspects, but it鈥檚 been a really long road for me.鈥
McCullers has missed three full seasons since making his major league debut in 2015.
鈥淚t would鈥檝e been a pretty sad ending to my story,鈥 McCullers said.
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