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Brewers' Lance McCullers: Will pitch in relief role
Rotowire
The Brewers activated McCullers (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
McCullers -- who has been out since mid-May with a shoulder impingement -- was acquired via trade from the Astros earlier this week and is now on the active roster after completing a rehab assignment. Manager Pat Murphy said Friday that McCullers will pitch out of the Milwaukee bullpen for the time being, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. McCullers holds a 6.86 ERA and 43:22 K:BB over 39.1 frames covering eight starts in the majors in 2026.
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Brewers' Lance McCullers: Officially dealt to Milwaukee
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The Brewers acquired McCullers (shoulder), Colton Gordon and cash considerations from the Astros on Wednesday in exchange for Jadyn Fielder.
It's a salary dump for Houston, who is getting out from most of the remainder of the final year of McCullers' five-year, $85 million deal. McCullers hasn't pitched with Houston since May 15 due to a shoulder impingement, but the right-hander is winding down a rehab assignment and should join Milwaukee's staff sooner than later. It's another reclamation project for the Brewers, as McCullers has pitched to a 6.65 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 5.8 BB/9 across 94.2 innings since the start of the 2025 season after missing the entire 2023 and 2024 campaigns due to injuries.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Trade to Milwaukee being finalized
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The Astros are in the process of finalizing a trade that will send McCullers (shoulder) to the Brewers on Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers has been on the injured list due to a shoulder impingement since mid-May, but he's made three minor-league rehab starts and may only require one more rehab outing before getting cleared for big-league action. The veteran right-hander is in the final season of the five-year, $85 million extension he signed with the Astros in 2021 and has full no-trade protection, though he's apparently already approved the potential trade, per McTaggart. After missing the full 2023 and 2024 campaigns due to arm issues, McCullers returned to the mound last year and struggled to a 6.51 ERA in 16 regular-season appearances, and he posted similar numbers before landing on the injured list this year. The full terms of the trade may not be disclosed until it's finalized.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Scheduled for another rehab start
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McCullers (shoulder) will make his next rehab start July 17 with Double-A Corpus Christi, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers has logged three rehab starts thus far, with his last taking place with Triple-A Sugar Land this past Tuesday, when he allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out four across four innings. The right-hander pushed his pitch count up to 77 in that outing, but McCullers will require at least one more outing in the minors before Houston considers adding him back to its rotation upon activating him from the 15-day injured list. McCullers has been on the shelf since May 19 due to a right shoulder impingement.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Completes third rehab start
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McCullers (shoulder) struck out four and allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks across four innings in a rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Sugar Land.
In the third start of his rehab assignment, McCullers covered four innings for a second outing in a row, though he was able to push his pitch count up to 77 (43 strikes) after tossing 60 pitches in his previous appearance for Sugar Land. Though he wasn't as sharp Tuesday as he had been his previous two times out, McCullers has still fared well overall during his minor-league assignment, posting a 2.45 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB in 11 innings. The next steps for McCullers remain unclear; though the veteran right-hander is stretched back out, Astros general manager Dana Brown didn't mention him as a candidate to fill the since-demoted Mike Burrows' spot in the rotation the next time it comes up Sunday against the Rangers, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. With that in mind, McCullers may be headed for another rehab appearance Sunday before returning from the 15-day injured list following the All-Star break and potentially handling a bullpen role.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Another strong rehab start
Rotowire
McCullers (shoulder) struck out three and allowed one earned run on four hits and one walk across four innings Wednesday in a rehab start with Triple-A Sugar Land.
McCullers has been stellar through his first two rehab outings at Sugar Land, allowing just one earned run while posting a 7:1 K:BB over seven innings. The right-hander tossed 60 pitches in Wednesday's appearance, so he'll likely need to make at least one more start in the minors before Houston brings him back from the 15-day injured list. McCullers had posted a lowly 6.86 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in eight starts for Houston before being shelved May 19 due to a rotator cuff impingement, and despite the strong form he's showed in the minors, he could face an uphill battle to reclaim a spot in a crowded big-league rotation once activated. Though the Astros have already decided that Cristian Javier (shoulder) will go to the bullpen when he returns from the 60-day IL on Friday, Ronel Blanco (elbow) has also built up to the 60-pitch mark during his rehab assignment and could be prioritized ahead of McCullers for a starting role upon his activation from the IL.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Sharp in first rehab outing
Rotowire
McCullers (shoulder) struck out four and allowed two hits and no walks over three scoreless innings in a rehab start Thursday with Triple-A Sugar Land.
Pitching in a game for the first time since May 13 after being sent to the injured list due to a right rotator cuff impingement, McCullers delivered an encouraging performance. He mixed in five different offerings in the 42-pitch appearance, averaging 90.9 mph with his sinker while displaying strong control. McCullers had issued 22 free passes in 39.1 innings with the Astros prior to landing on the shelf, so keeping his walks in check in his subsequent rehab outings will be imperative if he hopes to reclaim a spot in a crowded Houston rotation once he returns from the 15-day IL. In addition to their current five starters, the Astros are expected to bring Cristian Javier (shoulder) back from the 60-day IL later this week, and Ronel Blanco (elbow) is also in the midst of a rehab assignment and could be an option for the rotation around the same time McCullers is ready for activation.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Rehab assignment on tap
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McCullers (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers threw a 25-pitch live batting practice session Friday and has now been cleared for game action in the minors. The veteran right-hander has been on the shelf for a month due to shoulder inflammation and could back with the Astros after making a couple rehab starts, depending on how well he's able to build up his workload.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Completes live BP session
Rotowire
McCullers (shoulder) threw a 25-pitch live batting practice session Friday at Daikin Park, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
It was the hurler's first time facing hitters since he was diagnosed with right shoulder inflammation in mid-May. The next step for McCullers will either be throwing another live batting practice session or going out on a rehab assignment. It seems McCullers could be back before the All-Star break if all goes well, but he still has several boxes to check.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Begins mound work
Rotowire
Astros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that McCullers (shoulder) has resumed throwing off a mound, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
McCullers is being eased along slowly in his throwing program after landing on the shelf May 19 due to right shoulder inflammation. He still looks to be multiple weeks away from a return, as he'll need to complete multiple bullpen sessions and face live hitters before being cleared to head out on what will most likely be a multi-start minor-league rehab assignment. With both Hunter Brown (shoulder) and Cristian Javier (shoulder) poised to beat him back from the injured list, McCullers may not have a rotation spot waiting for him upon his activation. The 32-year-old righty struggled to a 6.86 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 39.1 innings in his eight starts before hitting the IL.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Starts throwing again
Rotowire
The Astros announced Friday that McCullers (shoulder) began a throwing progression, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
After landing on the injured list May 19 due to right shoulder inflammation, McCullers was shut down from activity for about a week and a half before being cleared to begin ramping up again. While McCullers doesn't necessarily appear to be headed for a long-term absence, the Astros could elect to have him build up slowly as a means of buying time to decide on what his role will look like moving forward. With Hunter Brown (shoulder) tracking toward a mid-June return from the IL and with Peter Lambert and Kai-Wei Teng emerging as viable back-end starting options, the Astros may not be willing to reopen a rotation spot for McCullers once he's ready for activation. McCullers struggled mightily over his eight starts prior to landing on the shelf, posting a 6.86 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across 39.1 innings.
The Astros placed McCullers on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right shoulder inflammation, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Manager Joe Espada said McCullers' shoulder issue is something he's been dealing with for a while. The right-hander didn't bounce back from his most recent start the way the Astros had hoped, so they'll now opt to place him on the shelf and send him back to Houston for further evaluation. A timeline for his return will likely be established once his test results come back.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Scratched from start Tuesday
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McCullers has been scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday in Minnesota.
The Astros have yet to provide reasoning for the move, but an update on McCullers should be forthcoming. Jason Alexander will make a spot start Tuesday in McCullers' place.
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Astros' Lance McCullers: Decent effort in no-decision
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McCullers allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Wednesday.
McCullers put in a decent effort Wednesday after his previous start was cut short by a blister on his pitching hand. This was one of his better outings this season, though he still allowed solo home runs to J.P. Crawford and Luke Raley. McCullers has a 6.86 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 43:22 K:BB through 39.1 innings over eight starts this season. He's tentatively projected for a road start in Minnesota his next time out.
Astros' Lance McCullers: Ready to go for next start
Rotowire
McCullers (finger) is slated to start Wednesday's game against the Mariners in Houston, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
McCullers appeared to be dealing with a blister on his pitching hand toward the tail end of his most recent start Wednesday against the Dodgers, but the righty was able to complete his most recent bullpen session without issue and will be ready to return to action on six days' rest. Though the historically injury-prone McCullers has thus far been able to avoid any major setbacks on the health front this season, he's seen his effectiveness wane since submitting a seven-inning, nine-strikeout effort in his 2026 debut against the Red Sox back on March 30. Over his ensuing six starts, McCullers has posted a 9.00 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 28:19 K:BB in 27 innings. Barring a turnaround in form, McCullers could be in danger of a demotion to the bullpen or even being designated for assignment once the Houston pitching staff gets some of its injured starters back from the shelf.
Astros' Lance McCullers: Short start due to possible blister
Rotowire
McCullers was removed from his start Wednesday against the Dodgers in the top of the third inning after he appeared to be contending with a blister on his pitching hand, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports. He was charged with six earned runs on four hits and three walks over 2.2 innings prior to his departure.
McCullers was visited on the mound by manager Joe Espada and a team trainer at one point during his start, and though he was able to stay in the game, he continued to struggle with his control before the Astros pulled him from the contest. In addition to issuing three free passes, McCullers threw three wild pitches and found the strike zone on just 39 of his 70 pitches overall. Even if McCullers checks out fine on the health front and is ready to make his next start, the Astros may have to begin to consider moving him out of the rotation. After the disastrous outing Wednesday, McCullers's ERA now sits at 7.41 over 34 innings on the season.
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