McCullers (elbow) retired all six batters he faced, striking out three, in two innings on 24 pitches Thursday during his Grapefruit League debut against the Cardinals, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The right-hander showcased his power curveball on two of the punchouts, with the other coming on a new circle changeup -- a pitch that could be the key to a sustained breakout. The righty topped out at 96 mph on the stadium scoreboard, as well. As long as he comes out of this appearance without complaints of soreness or something worse, expect McCullers to work three frames in his next appearance. Health concerns persist, but the 23-year-old revived the excitement that surrounded him last year before arm troubles kicked in. Hopefully, opportunistic fantasy owners still can take advantage of doubt to land him at a reasonable price in the middle rounds of mixed drafts. His high ceiling looks like it's back in play for 2017.