The Houston Astros might actually catch a break on the injury front. Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. threw live batting practice on Friday for the first time since landing on the injured list in May with a sore shoulder. It’s the clearest sign yet that the veteran pitcher is working his way back toward a return.
McCullers threw 25 pitches at Daikin Park before the Astros took the field. He faced teammates Taylor Trammell and Brice Matthews, mixing a low-90s fastball with his slider. After the session, he told reporters the issue was a rotator cuff impingement, something that had been bugging him for several starts before the team finally put him on the IL on May 16.
What’s next for McCullers
The live BP was a real milestone. Next up is a minor league rehab start, likely sometime next week. That’s the next box to check before the Astros even think about adding him back to the big-league rotation.
McCullers made eight starts before the injury. The results weren’t pretty. He went 2-3 with a 6.86 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP. But the Astros aren’t exactly in a position to be picky. The team’s 4.87 ERA ranked third-highest in Major League Baseball going into the weekend. They need arms, plain and simple.
Contract year comeback
McCullers is in the final year of his five-year, $85 million deal. He returned in 2025 after missing two and a half seasons, but it hasn’t been smooth. He posted a 6.51 ERA across 55 1/3 innings last year, and the injuries kept piling up. A right foot sprain in June. A blister on his pitching hand that cost him July and August. Right hand soreness in September. The guy has been through it.
But Friday was a good day. And for a team that’s been patching together its rotation all year, that matters.
More good news on the mound
The Astros also got a positive update on Ronel Blanco. The right-hander, who had Tommy John surgery after tearing his UCL, threw three scoreless innings for the Florida Complex League Astros on Friday. He gave up one hit and one walk while striking out five.
Blanco was lights-out in 2024. He finished 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA over 167 1/3 innings and threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays in his first start of the season. Things were tougher in 2025. He went 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in nine starts before going under the knife.
With McCullers, Blanco, and Cristian Javier all working through their recovery programs, the Astros rotation could look a whole lot different in the coming weeks. For a team that’s been held together by duct tape and hope on the mound, that’s about as encouraging as it gets.
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