Astros' McCullers to make 1st start since 2022 on Sunday
It's been a long road back to the major leagues for Lance McCullers.
The Houston Astros announced the right-hander will make his first start for the team since 2022 on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome.
"It's a day I've been waiting for a long time," McCullers said, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
"I thank my teammates, coaching staff, (and the) Astros organization for standing by me and supporting me. I'm excited to get this type of stuff done with and just get back into the flow of pitching for this team."
McCullers, 31, opened the 2023 season on the injured list with a muscle strain in his right elbow. He then underwent surgery to repair a flexor tendon, which kept him out for the remainder of the year and all of 2024.
His last full season was in 2021 when he finished seventh in American League Cy Young voting with a 3.16 ERA and 1.22 WHIP across 162 1/3 innings.
McCullers has made just 47 starts since the end of 2018.
Other Astros starting pitchers Luis Garcia, Cristian Javier, and J.P. France remain sidelined with long-term injuries. Spencer Arrighetti, meanwhile, is on the 15-day injured list with a fractured thumb.
Houston's current group of starters, led by Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, entered Wednesday with the AL's fourth-best ERA (3.59) and FIP (3.64).