Astros manager Joe Espada said Sunday that it's "pretty safe to say" McCullers (forearm) won't be activated from the 60-day injured list this season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers underwent surgery last June to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur and had been hopeful to return to the Astros around the middle of the season. After progressing to throwing bullpen sessions in May, McCullers had his rehab program shut down in July and received a second opinion from doctors. Though McCullers was diagnosed with no new structural damage to his elbow, the recent setback he had a few weeks ago will be enough to slow him down and take a 2024 return off the table. The 30-year-old hasn't pitched for the Astros since the 2022 World Series, and he had already missed the entire 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. McCullers remains on Houston's books through 2026 after signing a five-year, $85 million extension in March 2021.
General manager Dana Brown said Tuesday that McCullers (forearm) has not yet resumed throwing, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
A setback in McCullers' recovery has prevented him from throwing since July 9, and although he is not dealing with any structural damage, his progress remains slow. Brown noted that the right-hander may still be able to pitch for the Astros in September, but he won't have a clear timetable until he is cleared to resume his throwing program.
Astros' Lance McCullers: No structural damage in elbow
Rotowire
McCullers said Friday that he has no structural damage in his right elbow or forearm, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Despite that assurance, McCullers still has not resumed throwing after being shut down July 9. However, manager Joe Espada said the right-hander may be able to restart a throwing program within the next several days depending on how he feels. McCullers hasn't pitched in an MLB game since 2022 and still figures to be at least several weeks away from a potential return to the Astros.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Shut down from throwing
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Astros manager Joe Espada said Tuesday that McCullers (forearm) will not throw for a few days, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Espada noted that McCullers' throwing arm was not responding well between bullpen sessions, and the 30-year-old will rest while the team figures out next steps. It's a step back for McCulers, who hasn't pitched since the 2022 World Series and is working his way back from June 2023 surgery to repair the flexor tendon and remove a bone spur in his right forearm.
Astros' Lance McCullers: Throwing off mound Saturday
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McCullers (forearm) is scheduled to throw 25 warmup pitches Saturday and then sit down to mimic a break between innings before re-taking the mound, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Saturday's session will be McCullers' first up-down since undergoing surgery last June. He's expected to simulate one more up-down before the Astros consider having the right-hander face hitters. McCullers appears to be on track for an August return.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Making progress
Rotowire
McCullers (forearm) threw 25 pitches off the bullpen mound Thursday, MLB.com reports.
McCullers has been ramping up his activity since mid-April, and he managed to throw both sinkers and changeups in addition to his fastball Thursday. He's behind teammate Luis Garcia (elbow) in his recovery, but McCullers could be activated from the injured list at some point in August.
McCullers (forearm) threw a 10-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCullers had previously done some throwing from the front slope of the mound, but Saturday marked his first time throwing from the top of the bump since he had surgery last June to repair the flexor tendon and remove a bone spur from his forearm. It's a big step, but McCullers is still at least a month away from a rehab assignment, with a return from the 60-day injured list perhaps coming in July if all goes well.
Astros' Lance McCullers: Throwing off slope of mound
Rotowire
McCullers (forearm) has begun throwing off the slope of the mound in recent days, MLB.com reports.
McCullers is recovering from surgery to repair his flexor tendon, though his buildup will be significant as he has not appeared in a big-league game since the 2022 postseason. There is no precise timetable for his return to the mound, but it was previously reported that McCullers was hoping to be activated in late June.
The Astros placed McCullers (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Tayler Scott, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Sugar Land. McCullers is expected to be out until late June or early July as he continues his recovery from right elbow surgery.
McCullers (forearm) said Monday that he's aiming to make his season debut in "late June, early July" Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
McCullers has been limited to flat-ground throwing during spring training after undergoing surgery June 13 to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and remove a bone spur. He noted that his procedure carries an estimated recovery timeline of 13-to-15 months, so his target return date of late June or early July would mark the short end of that timeframe. Whether McCullers will realistically be available at that point in the calendar won't become clear for several more months, as he'll still have multiple checkpoints to hit in his recovery before he's a realistic option for the Houston rotation. The Astros haven't indicated when McCullers might be ready to advance to tossing bullpen sessions, which represents the next phase of his throwing program.
