It's been a trying time for one of the Houston Astros pitchers. Lance McCullers Jr was on the receiving end of online death threats after his first start of the season against the Cincinnati Reds on May 10. 

He gave up seven runs on three hits in the first inning of a 13-9 loss to the Reds. Afterwards, Houston police investigated the threats leveled against McCullers and his family. 

On Friday, McCullers returned to the mound against the Texas Rangers, per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. He threw for four innings, had two strikeouts, gave up four hits, a walk, and no earned runs. The Astros defeated the Rangers 6-3. 

Astros manager Joe Espada praised McCullers' performance and noticed a change in his attitude. 

“I thought he was way more aggressive in the zone,” Espada said. “I saw more conviction on every pitch. It was a really good bounce-back outing for him.”

After all he endured, McCullers expressed the need to improve in certain areas, but he felt he was back on track. 

“I felt like I controlled the zone much, much better today,” he said. “Still feel I’m just lacking a little bit on the put-away stuff. I think that kind of let some at-bats roll through, extend a little longer than they needed to. But overall, I think it’s a step in the right direction. And I was glad to (give) us a chance to stay close in the ballgame.”

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McCullers has been with the Astros since 2015. He was part of the World Series-winning teams in 2017 and 2022, but his career has been beset by ebbs and flows. 

Lance McCullers' journey with the Astros

McCullers' career is a mixture of success and injuries. In Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS, he pitched four scoreless innings against the Yankees. McCullers recorded his first save in a 4-0 victory over the New York Yankees. 

He threw 24 consecutive curveballs to strike out six Yankee batters in that game. 

But his time has been marred by injuries. McCullers missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons after undergoing elbow surgery to repair a flexor tendon tear. 

He returned on May 4, 2025, against the Chicago White Sox. He pitched 3 2/3 innings with four strikeouts, three hits, and three walks.