McCullers said Tuesday that he's not dealing with any UCL damage to his right forearm and is instead recovering from a flexor tendon strain, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic reports.
McCullers said that he sought multiple medical opinions on the forearm injury he sustained in the ALCS last fall, with all of his doctors concluding that he wasn't dealing with a UCL issue. While that offers hope that McCullers won't need surgery on his elbow, he still hasn't recovered from the flexor strain as quickly as he or the Astros anticipated. McCullers won't be ready to go for the start of the season as a result, and until he's cleared to resume throwing again, the Astros likely won't offer a potential target date for his 2022 debut. McCullers' absence to begin the season should allow Jake Odorizzi to reclaim a starting role, after Odorizzi had previously lost hold of a rotation spot during the Astros' postseason run.