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HOU • Pitcher • #43
6 days ago
McCullers added that a portion of his fingernail on his right index finger popped off while throwing a third-inning curveball, which led to his early exit from the contest. He was charged with six runs over 2 2/3 innings during Wednesday afternoon’s start against the Dodgers. Incredibly, the first three runs all came on wild pitches. He finished with four strikeouts and also issued three walks. He’s tentatively scheduled to take the ball against the Mariners on Tuesday. There should be an update on his status at some point in the next few days.
Source: Chandler Rome
HOU • Pitcher • #43
12 days ago
The 32-year-old right-hander allowed just two hits and four walks on the evening. The Astros staked him to a five-run lead in the first inning and all McCullers had to do was keep the train on the tracks to earn a victory here. All of the damage done against him came in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Pete Alonso and a two-run triple off the bat of Leody Taveras. McCullers generated 18 swings and misses on 99 offerings in the contest — 11 of them on his knucklecurve — while registering a strong CSW of 35 percent. Now 2-1 on the season, he’ll look to further improve upon his 6.32 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 33/17 K/BB ratio (31 1/3 innings) when he toes the slab against the Dodgers on Wednesday.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
18 days ago
The 32-year-old right-hander also issued four free passes on the night while punching out three. The Yankees scored three runs (one earned) off of him in the first inning, then added on with solo shots from Ryan McMahon in the second and Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the fourth. McCullers then returned for the sixth and allowed a single and an RBI double before exiting. He got just five swings and misses on 92 pitches in the ballgame, posting a CSW of 27 percent. Now 1-2 on the season, he’ll bring an unappealing 6.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP (25 1/3 innings) into Thursday’s start against the Orioles in Baltimore.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
24 days ago
That first time out when McCullers limited the Red Sox to one run over seven innings is looking like a big aberration right now. He’s given up 13 runs with a 12/8 K/BB over 13 1/3 innings in his three starts this month. The Astros will surely stick with him, but below average velocity and poor command makes for a bad combination. He’ll face the Yankees next week.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
about 1 month ago
McCullers got into immediate trouble, as he gave up a two-run homer to Cal Raleigh with no one out in the first inning. He settled down over the next three innings, but fell apart in the fifth, and he was charged for a run after Julio Rodríguez blistered a two-run that tied the game at 7-7 after he was handed a 7-2 lead. McCullers was excellent against the Red Sox, and has been anything but since. He’ll get the Rockies on Thursday in Houston.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
about 1 month ago
After a brilliant first start of 2026 that saw him struck out nine over seven innings against the Red Sox, McCullers was excellent over the first four frames, but it fell apart in the fifth. He allows a three-spot without getting an out, and his command was clearly waning as the inning progressed. Still, there’s more positives to be taken out of this than the line suggests. He’ll be back at it Saturday in Seattle.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
about 1 month ago
It’s quite the statement from McCullers, who hadn’t thrown seven innings since 2022. Still, the struggling Red Sox probably made him look a little better than he deserved. They almost got to him in the sixth. Wilyer Abreu’s double with two on that inning skipped over the wall, costing Boston a run. The next batter, Masataka Yoshida, barely pulled a two-run double foul, and if that had landed, McCullers probably wouldn’t have finished the sixth, much less the seventh. Still, it was an encouraging outing on the whole. We just wouldn’t be ready to trust him in mixed leagues quite yet. He’ll face the A’s next.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
about 2 months ago
McCullers gave up six hits but just three hard-hit balls tonight, albeit against a Triple-A lineup. His upside isn’t nearly what it was and the chances of him making 25-30 starts are pretty slim, but the Astros will be content if he’s just an average starter when he’s able to take the mound. He’s expected to face the Red Sox next week in his first outing.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
about 2 months ago
McCullers had an impressive 36 percent whiff rate, but he also only threw 53 percent of his pitches for strikes on the day. Hes trigged to get ahead in the count with his four-seamer and had to go to his changeup often to begin at-bats. However, his changeup looked good, and his sinker took some pressure off his four-seamer and allowed a fair amount of weak contact. McCullers threw 58 pitches in this one and could be up to around 75 pitches in his first start of the season, which keeps him on the fringe of fantasy relevance.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
2 months ago
Both runs came on a two-run home run by Coby Mayo; however, McCullers did allow five hard-hit balls in just three innings, which isn’t great. He did post a 27 percent whiff rate and 35 percent CSW and threw 65 percent strikes, so it wasn’t all bad. McCullers also sat 93.2 mph on his four-seam fastball, which is up over one mph from what he averaged during the season last year. He also held the velocity through all three innings, which is a good sign. We can’t say how long McCullers will stay healthy, but he does appear to be healthy right now heading into the season.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
2 months ago
The 32-year-old right-hander needed just eight pitches to retire CJ Abrams, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews in succession. He worked exclusively out of the stretch in this one and averaged 94.0 mph on his fastball, a big jump from the 91.5 mph that he averaged during the 2025 season. It remains to be seen if he’ll be given an opportunity to start or if he’ll be utilized out of the bullpen to open the season. Either way, a return to relevance from a fantasy perspective seems unlikely.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
8 months ago
He struck out four. The run came on a Mike Trout homer. McCullers missed the previous two weeks with hand soreness. He’ll end this season healthy after missing both 2023 and ’24 with elbow woes, but there wouldn’t seem to be a whole lot to be encouraged about with his 6.51 ERA and a 61/39 K/BB in 55 1/3 innings over 13 starts and three relief appearances. His fastball was down about two mph from where he was before the elbow injuries. As he enters the final season of a five-year, $85 million contract, the Astros still figure to give him every opportunity to win a rotation spot next spring.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
8 months ago
The 31-year-old hurler had been shelved since September 12 due to soreness in his right hand. He’ll give the Astros an option for length out of the bullpen behind AJ Blubaugh as the Astros need to win to keep their postseason hopes alive on Saturday night. McCullers holds an uninspiring 6.88 ERA and 1.85 WHIP across 52 1/3 innings on the season.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
8 months ago
That will unfortunately end the 31-year-old right-hander’s 2025 season. He finishes the year with a disappointing 6.88 ERA, 1.85 WHIP and a 57/38 K/BB ratio over 52 1/3 innings in 15 appearances (12 starts).
HOU • Pitcher • #43
8 months ago
The runs came in his second inning of work. With one run already in, Luis Rengifo hit a dribbler down the first base line and then ran on the grass, causing McCullers to make a bad throw to first for a single and an error. Rengifo really should have been called out on the play, but hitters usually are able to get away with it. It’s currently unclear if McCullers will get a chance to go back into the rotation next weekend. He came into today with a 6.89 ERA in 12 starts.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
9 months ago
McCullers is also an option to start Monday’s game against the Angels according to Espada. Some of that might depend on if the team needs to use McCullers, some of that may depend on if Luis Garcia Jr. (elbow) is ready to go. McCullers was not good Friday against the Orioles, and the right-hander shouldn’t be under fantasy consideration no matter what role he pitches in.
Source: Chandler Rome
HOU • Pitcher • #43
9 months ago
This was a vintage McCullers start, and not in a good way. More than two-thirds of his total pitches were either sliders or knuckle curves and his command was dreadful with each. They mostly either missed the zone by a wide margin or in the heart of it and were clobbered. It’s hard to expect him to pitch deep in a game or just be effective at all with such a breaking ball heavy profile when he can’t command them. He’s scheduled to face the Angels at home next time out if he sticks in this rotation with Luis Garcia Jr. due back soon.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
9 months ago
The 31-year-old hurler will make his return to the Astros’ rotation on Friday evening against the Orioles. McCullers has been sidelined since July 20 due to a blister on his pitching hand. Before landing on the injured list he had registered a 6.90 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and a 50/29 K/BB ratio across 44 1/3 innings in his first 11 starts on the season.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
9 months ago
McCullers has been out since late July working his way back from a blister on his right finger. His return bumps journeyman Jason Alexander from Houston’s rotation mix.
Source: Brian McTaggart
HOU • Pitcher • #43
10 months ago
No word yet on the severity of the blister, which will determine how much time McCullers winds up missing. The 31-year-old righty was slated to take the ball for Thursday’s series opener against the Athletics. The timing of the break should allow him to iron things out away from the spotlight after being hit hard in three of his last four starts.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
10 months ago
McCullers couldn’t find the strike zone again, as he issued three walks and threw just 41-of-75 pitches for strikes. The former fantasy stalwart now has an ugly 6.90 ERA, and outside of a couple of outings, he’s looked borderline unusable in 2025. McCullers will have a chance to rebound Thursday against the Athletics.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
10 months ago
McCullers gave up six hits, walked two and struck out five. The 31-year-old right-hander made an admirable return from injury this season, but his production hasn’t been close to years prior. McCullers takes a 6.48 ERA into the All-Star break. He’s not someone fantasy managers want to rely on down the stretch of the season.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
10 months ago
McCullers told reporters after firing six innings of one-run ball on Friday evening at Dodger Stadium that his left foot “went numb for a little while” after being struck by a line drive from Shohei Ohtani, but added that he managed to avoid serious injury. The 31-year-old should be ready to make his next start on Wednesday against the Guardians.
Source: Matt Kawahara
HOU • Pitcher • #43
10 months ago
McCullers told reporters after firing six innings of one-run ball on Friday evening at Dodger Stadium that his left foot “went numb for a little while” after being struck by a line drive from Shohei Ohtani, but added that he managed to avoid serious injury. The 31-year-old should be ready to make his next start on Wednesday against the Guardians.
Source: Matt Kawahara
HOU • Pitcher • #43
10 months ago
McCullers was awful in his first start back from the injured list against the Cubs. To say he was improved against the Los Angeles lineup is quite the understatement. He did walk four hitters with a mediocre 49-of-87 pitches landing for strikes, but he allowed only four hits and escaped every jam with the only run coming on a solo homer from Will Smith. He’s back on the mound Wednesday against the Guardians.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
11 months ago
A rough return, to say the least. McCullers couldn’t find the strike zone early on, and walked in a run in the first. To his credit he held the Cubs scoreless over the next two innings, but he was charged for seven runs in the fourth to make this an ugly first start back off the injured list. McCullers has not pitched particularly well in 2025, and it’d be a mistake to bet on a rebound against the Dodgers on Friday.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
11 months ago
The 31-year-old right-hander will make his return to the Astros’ starting rotation on Saturday against the Cubs. Prior to landing on the shelf with a right foot sprain in the middle of June, McCullers had compiled a 4.91 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a 39/16 K/BB ratio across 29 1/3 innings through his first seven starts.
HOU • Pitcher • #43
11 months ago
The 31-year-old right-hander has been sidelined since the middle of June due to a right foot sprain. His return will seemingly bump Ryan Gusto from the Astros’ rotation once again. McCullers returns to a 4.91 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and a 39/16 K/BB ratio across 29 1/3 innings through his first seven starts with the Astros this season.
Source: Matthew Kawahara
HOU • Pitcher • #43
11 months ago
Brandon Walter is scheduled to start on Friday against the Cubs, and Framber Valdez is scheduled to start on Sunday. The Astros have listed their Saturday starter as “TBA,” but that’s the same day that McCullers is eligible to be activated from the IL. If the Astros do tab McCullers to start that game, we would not use him in fantasy leagues against the Cubs.
Source: Chandler Rome
HOU • Pitcher • #43
11 months ago
Brandon Walter is scheduled to start on Friday against the Cubs, and Framber Valdez is scheduled to start on Sunday. The Astros have listed their Saturday starter as “TBA,” but that’s the same day that McCullers is eligible to be activated from the IL. If the Astros do tab McCullers to start that game, we would not use him in fantasy leagues against the Cubs.
Source: Chandler Rome