Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. may be back on the mound soon. Astros general manager Dana Brown says that McCullers could be back in the rotation for an April 25-27 series against Kansas City, per Sports Illustrated.

That's good news for Astros fans, and for a club looking to win the American League West. McCullers is a former All-Star who has been hampered by injuries. The pitcher hasn't thrown in a Major League Baseball game since 2022.

McCullers has pitched for the club since 2015. In his last season in 2022, the hurler posted a 2.27 ERA in eight starts. McCullers has a 47-32 career win-loss record, with a lifetime ERA of 3.48.

The hurler brings not only talent, but leadership to the clubhouse. McCullers was on two World Series championship teams in Houston. He was named an All-Star in 2017, when he won his first World Series.

The Astros are 6-8 on the season.

Astros could use Lance McCullers in the rotation right now

Astros’ Jose Altuve catching the ball
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McCullers looked like he could be the ace of this Astros staff before getting hurt. The All-Star put together several solid seasons in the past. His career-high year came in 2021, when he picked up 13 victories. He posted a 3.16 ERA during that campaign, with 28 starts.

Houston has been patiently waiting for the pitcher's return. It's been more than two full seasons since he could take the mound in a MLB game. While a lot of other teams would have given up on a player in that time span, Houston has stood by McCullers.

Houston isn't having much luck right now in terms of their pitching. The Astros are dealing with several other pitching injuries, as Spencer Arrighetti is out. So are Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier. The Astros are a banged-up team in their pitching rotation.

McCullers has been working well in rehab starts. He did well in his last appearance, pitching four scoreless innings for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. In those four innings, McCullers threw just 61 pitches. He also reached north of 90 miles per hour with some of his throws.

Astros fans are ready to see McCullers work on the mound again. Houston is playing on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels.