Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) was able to throw off of the mound for the first time ahead of his team's Friday night game. The 28-year-old threw sinkers, four-seam fastballs, and changeups, with his velocity sitting in the low 80s. McCullers has yet to pitch in 2022 after injuring his forearm during the 2021 playoffs and having a setback this past January. The veteran hurler posted a 13-5 record, 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 185 strikeouts over 162 1/3 innings of work last season. He realistically isn't likely to be back in the majors until the second half of the season.

The Houston Astros have transferred starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) to the 60-day injured list. The move was made in order to clear space on the 40-man roster for Yordan Alvarez, who spent a few days on the COVID injured list. Following the move, McCullers will now be sidelined until at least early June. The 28-year-old suffered a flexor tendon strain in his forearm during the postseason last year and he is still in the midst of working his way back. He's coming off a fantastic season. In 2021, he went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP while averaging 10.3 K/9. He's worthy of stashing in an IL spot in all league formats.

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw 25 times on flat ground from 60 feet Tuesday and is scheduled to pitch Friday again. The 28-year-old suffered a flexor tendon injury in his right arm in the postseason last year. He didn't need surgery and was placed on the 10-day injured list to begin the season. The Astros right-hander continues to make a recovery from his injury and will need to build up strength before facing live hitters. McCullers owned a career-low 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 185 strikeouts, and a league-high 76 walks in 162 1/3 innings over 28 starts in 2021. Fantasy managers should continue to stash the right-hander in all league formats.

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) could be ready to throw next week. "He's not far from throwing," said manager Dusty Baker. The 28-year-old suffered a flexor tendon injury in his right arm in the postseason last year. He didn't need surgery and was placed on the 10-day injured list to begin the season. McCullers owned a career-low 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 185 strikeouts, and a league-high 76 walks in 162 1/3 innings over 28 starts in 2021. Fantasy managers should continue to stash the right-hander in all league formats.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) still isn't throwing this spring, but manager Dusty Baker said on Monday that he'll accompany the team to Anaheim for the start of the regular season this week against the Los Angeles Angels. McCullers suffered a flexor tendon injury in his right arm in the postseason last year, and although he avoided UCL damage, it's not good that he has yet to begin a throwing program. The 28-year-old may not need to get surgery, but there's now a chance that he could be sidelined for a majority of the first half of the 2022 season. McCullers had a career-low 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 185 strikeouts and a league-high 76 walks in 162 1/3 innings over 28 starts last year, so he's worth stashing at a lower cost.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) said he's dealing with a flexor tendon injury and not a UCL issue. He has undergone platelet-rich plasma and stem-cell treatments and isn't throwing yet. "I'm going to have a good amount of rehab here for at least a couple of weeks and we'll see the next steps," McCullers said. Hopefully he will not need to undergo surgery, which would likely knock him out for most, if not all, of the 2022 season. But the 28-year-old will not be ready for Opening Day, and there's no timetable for his return, making him extra risky in fantasy drafts this year after he suffered the injury in the postseason last year. With McCullers out to start the year, look for Jake Odorizzi to open with a rotation spot in Houston.

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker said that starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is behind schedule and won't start the season on time. McCullers injured his right forearm in the playoffs last year and needs more time before he gets back on a mound. The 28-year-old right-hander said in February that he had a significant strain of his flexor tendon. McCullers was solid during the regular season in 2021 with a 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 185 strikeouts, although he had a league-high 76 walks in 162 1/3 innings over 28 starts. He'll come at a discount in fantasy drafts because of the injury, and he'll be a risk-reward selection. There's currently no timetable for him to be ready for the 2022 season.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is behind on his recovery from the forearm strain he suffered last postseason. Houston Chronicle writer Chandler Rome broke the news on Wednesday. According to Rome, McCullers told reporter Maanav Gupta in an interview that the lockout has stalled his rehab progression. McCullers also stated that he was doubtful he'd be ready by Opening Day and that his injury was more serious than the organization first believed. The 28-year-old is coming off a great year in which he went 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA. There's clearly some risk attached to him, but his upside is immense and he should be valued as a top-50 starting pitcher for anyone drafting in the coming weeks.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) has yet to throw a baseball since straining his right forearm muscle in Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox two weeks ago and is unlikely to be on the World Series roster. The Astros aren't officially ruling McCullers out with final rosters having to be set on Tuesday morning, but McCullers' odds of being on the roster aren't good. "We're going to take everything we can to see how he responds," general manager James Click said. "We're not taking anything off the table. We're going to see how he is. It's the World Series. I know Lance wants to be out there if he can." The good news is that McCullers doesn't have any structural damage and should be ready for the 2022 season.

Houston Astros ace Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) is unlikely to be available if the Astros were to advance past the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox and to the World Series. McCullers' forearm injury is seen as muscular in nature, which is good news in the long term. Before his injury in the Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the right-hander had a 0.84 ERA. The 28-year-old was also excellent in the regular season, going 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 162 1/3 frames over his 28 starts. Jake Odorizzi was added to Houston's ALCS roster in the wake of McCullers' arm injury.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) isn't on the team's roster for the American League Championship Series. McCullers Jr. pitched to a 3.16 ERA and a 3.52 FIP in 162.1 innings during the regular season while striking out 185 batters and giving up 76 walks. He made a pair of starts in the Division Series against the Chicago White Sox. In a combined 10.2 innings against the White Sox, the right-hander struck out nine batters while surrendering nine hits, three walks, a home run and an earned run. The 28-year-old left his Game 4 start against Chicago early with right forearm discomfort.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) should be fine in the long run after undergoing an MRI exam, but there's still no word on whether he will be able to pitch during the rest of the postseason. McCullers left early in Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox with right forearm discomfort. The 28-year-old right-hander allowed one run on five hits while striking out five and walking three in four innings before he departed. While McCullers' long-term outlook is good heading into 2022, it still seems unlikely that he'll be available for the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox, which begins on Friday. Stay tuned for more details on a potential timetable for his return.

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. told reporters postgame that he left the team's 10-1 win over the White Sox in Game 4 due to right forearm tightness. The right-handed starter pitched four innings of one-run baseball but walked three batters and allowed five hits. McCullers Jr.'s status is officially up in the air heading into the Astros ALCS 2020 rematch against the Red Sox. The Astros ace certainly will not pitch Game 1 and his availability will have to be monitored closely in the days ahead.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) was removed from Game 4 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox after four strong innings. After the game, Astros manager Dusty Baker told the media that McCullers felt right forearm discomfort, prompting his removal. McCullers was pitching well before he was pulled. He threw 73 pitches over four innings and allowed five hits, three walks and one earned run while striking out five. We don't know how severe the injury is at this point, but we should know more soon.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. will make his second start of the ALDS in Game 4 on Tuesday. Jose Urquidy was originally scheduled to start Game 4 on Monday, but the game was postponed a day and the Astros are using that extra day of rest to bump McCullers up in the rotation. The 28-year-old right-hander was dominant in his Game 1 start against the White Sox. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed four hits, no walks and no runs while striking out four. The Astros have a 2-1 lead in the series and another strong outing from McCullers could lead them to an ALCS birth.

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. will start Game 1 of the ALDS Thursday against the White Sox. A neck injury to veteran starter Zack Greinke bumps McCullers Jr. up to the front of the line after a fantastic season on the mound. McCullers (13-5) racked up a career-high in wins, innings pitched (162 1/3), strikeouts (185) and opponents batting average (.205). The right-handed starter has been guilty of walking hitters at times over the last two months but is posting a 1.07 WHIP spanning his last five starts. In 14 career appearances in the playoffs (seven of them starts), McCullers is 1-2 with a 1.07 WHIP and a 3.28 ERA. He did, however, struggle last season by posting a 4.91 ERA in three appearances last October.

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. is tentatively slated to start Thursday against the Angels. McCullers (12-4) has been fantastic of late, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.23 WHIP and a 2.83 ERA over his last seven starts. The right-handed starter has been, at times, wildly effective walking 15 batters over his last 29 2/3 innings pitched. But McCullers is worth a DFS play thanks to his highest K/9 rate (10.54) rate since 2016.

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. continues to shine after holding the Angels to one run on three hits through six innings Sunday. McCullers (12-4) is having a resurgent season and is 9-3 over his last 15 starts. His 10.48 K/9 is the highest it has been since 2017, and he is holding opponents to a .207 batting average through 144 1/3 innings pitched. McCullers will be an attractive DFS option when he takes the mound next on either Friday or Saturday this week.

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. will have a favorable matchup Monday against the Mariners. McCullers (10-4) will take a 3.12 ERA over his last six starts and two of those starts came against the Mariners. McCullers allowed only two runs spanning 11 innings against the Mariners and should be able to provide another quality outing. The right-handed starter has battled a bit of wildness (15 walks over his last 34 2/3 innings) but his Monday matchup makes him very appealing in DFS formats.

Houston Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. allowed four runs through 6 2/3 innings pitched but received a no-decision Wednesday against the Royals. McCullers was cruising in this game but was chased in the seventh inning as the Royals put up a four-spot in the frame. McCullers has been solid in the month of August, posting a 3.64 ERA over his last five starts and a 4.43 ERA over his last seven outings. For the season, McCullers is now 10-4 with a 1.25 WHIP and a 3.32 ERA through 127 1/3 innings pitched this season.