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MLB news: Astros SP Lance McCullers Jr. ‘out of the question’ for Opening Day
Lance McCullers Jr. isn’t going to be the ace for the Houston Astros this season and, frankly, was never in line to be the Opening Day starter for the defending World Series champions.
But even if he was going to be, he won’t be able to now.
On Wednesday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reported that McCullers underwent an MRI on his arm after he experienced some soreness and it revealed a muscle strain that will keep him out for a few weeks. McCullers then called Opening Day “out of the question” in relation to his recovery time from the injury.
Lance McCullers Jr. said he had an MRI yesterday that revealed a “small muscle strain.” He is shut down for a few weeks.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 22, 2023
“Opening day is out of the question,” he said.
The silver lining is that the examination didn’t reveal any damage to the UCL and he should make a recovery. Having said that, McCullers’ return at the end of last season was huge after he missed the majority of the year with an injury as well, limited to only eight starts in the 2022 regular season.
Houston has a great deal of pitching depth, including 25-year-old prospect Forrest Whitley who could be called upon if he has a strong spring. With that said, it’s an early test for the defending champs as they try to build a mini-dynasty for the Astros. Not having McCullers to start the year is far from negligible, that’s for sure.