Astros get brutal injury update on Lance McCullers before ALCS

The Houston Astros are ALCS-bound but they may have to face the loaded Red Sox lineup without Lance McCullers Jr. in the rotation.

Lance McCullers Jr. got the ball for the Houston Astros as the Game 4 starter in the eventual series-clinching win for the club over the White Sox. Outside of a solo home run given up to Gavin Sheets, the right-handed hurler looked good with just the one earned run over four innings, this after allowing four hits and no runs in 6.2 innings in Game 1.

Unfortunately, the reason his day was limited to just four innings could be bad news for the club as they head to battle the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS.

After the game, Astros manager Dusty Baker said that McCullers was experiencing forearm tightness and would be evaluated further.

Anytime a manager or player mentions a pitcher dealing with arm tightness, it’s not good. We will have to wait on an official word but the fact that he was pulled from the game is concerning for fans.

The Lance McCullers injury is a terrible blow for the Astros in the ALCS

It’s never a good time to lose any starting pitcher when it comes to the MLB Postseason but, if Lance McCullers Jr. is ruled out for any amount of time, that could build a tough hill to climb for Houston.

In the ALDS, McCullers was the star of the Astros pitching staff, allowing just one run over 10.2 innings. Meanwhile, no other pitcher saw the mound for more than 4.1 innings. And you could make the argument that no one pitched as well as the injured righty either.

Again, we’ll have to wait for further news about how severe the injury is but the Astros, now set to face a hot and loaded Red Sox lineup in the ALCS, can ill-afford to not have the veteran available as they hope to punch a ticket to the World Series.