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Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. hasn't pitched in an MLB game since the 2022 World Series, but he has been cleared to make his return. McCullers Jr. has dealt with multiple injuries in recent years, and he had surgery back in June 2023 to address his right flexor tendon and a bone spur. The road to recovery has been a long one, but McCullers Jr. is set to start on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.
It's been over two years since Lance McCullers Jr. pitched in a major league game for the Astros, but he is finally going to make his long-awaited return. He is enjoying this.
“It's been great, you know, this is a day I've been waiting for for a long time,” McCullers Jr. said on Wednesday, according to a video from Brian McTaggart. “Almost feel like I'm making my debut in some aspects, especially, you know, it's been a really long road for me. I thank my teammates, coaching staff, doctors, organization for standing by me and supporting me, and I'm excited to just kind of get this type of stuff done with and then just get back into the flow of pitching for this team.”
McCullers Jr. has pitched at the minor league level to get some rehab appearances in, and he's feeling good right now. It will likely take some time to adjust to the majors again, but McCullers Jr. feels like he is in a good spot.
“Yeah, my last two outings I've felt really good,” McCullers Jr. said. “I think my stuff has been pretty crisp. Obviously, it's been a long layoff for me, and there's probably going to be things I have to work through and kind of, you know, get my feet back under me, and things of that nature. But, you know, I feel like I'm in as good of a spot as I can be coming out of rehab, and excited for Sunday.”
The road to recovery has been long, but being back with the team and ready to pitch has made it all worth it.
“I guess, kind of this moment now, just, you know, finally getting to the end of the tunnel, per se,” McCullers said when he was asked about what made his journey worth it. “But you know, I got a lot of work ahead of me, and I want to be a big part of this team, and want to help us win.”
McCullers Jr. isn't going to miss that much time this year as his first start will come in early May. If all goes to plan, he will get plenty of opportunities this year.
“I think what I expect for myself is to, you know, go out there as often as I can and give our team a chance to win,” he said. “I think health-wise, I'm not worried or anything of that nature. I feel like I'm in a really good spot. You know, a lot of guys around the league have had similar surgeries, or sometimes similar journeys to me and you just kind of got to get over that hump and feels like your body kind of adapts and so I'm hopeful that I'm in that spot, but like you said, I mean, we're in the beginning of May, and I'll make my first start so I feel like I have a really good opportunity to impact this club throughout the season.”
Lance McCullers Jr. is finally going to make his return for the Astros. It's been a long time, but Houston is getting one of its best pitchers back.
