"Moms in baseball are like a special breed" - Lance McCullers Jr.'s wife Kara on juggling fun & discipline as MLB parent while dad's on field

Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. leads a typical MLB life. With 162 games in the season, having to spend time apart from his family has become part of every ballplayer's lifestyle.

Recently, the Houston Chronicle's Chron ran a feature on the wives of various Houston Astros players. Among those profiled was McCullers Jr.'s wife, Kara, who has been married to the pitcher since 2015.

Speaking about balancing her stay-at-home lifestyle with caring for her two daughters, Kara underscored how overwhelming it can be sometimes. Speaking about tending to Ava, four, and Isla, four months, Kara said:

"You're the fun parent. You're the disciplinarian parent. You're the one who's getting their stuff together for school. So, you're wearing a lot of hats throughout the season and while trying to support your spouse. Honestly, all moms are superheroes, but moms in baseball are like a special breed."

While Kara's words have rung true for much of McCullers Jr.'s seven-year MLB career, the pitcher has been sidelined for the majority of the past two seasons. Kara went on to express how great the additional time with his girls had been.

Among the other Houston Astros wives mentioned were Reagan Bregman, Jessica France and Maria Hader. All of the women interviewed spoke about the challenges but also the rewarding nature of being married to a full-time baseball player.

Now in his seventh season as a member of the Astros, Lance McCullers Jr. has not taken to the mound since 2022. During the 2023 spring training, the Florida native suffered a muscle strain in his forearm.

This led to McCullers Jr. being shut down from throwing and undergoing season-ending surgery. The former first-round draft pick's last appearance came in the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Astros needs Lance McCullers Jr.'s arm back

Now 14-24, the Astros find themselves in fourth place in the AL West, seven games behind the Texas Rangers. With their bullpen responsible for a good portion of the damage, McCullers Jr. continues to sit idly. Before the season, the pitcher told the Foul Territory Podcast:

"I probably should've just had surgery [in the beginning], this is my exact same rehab for the third time, so it's been a tough one."

Although the pitcher has begun to throw bullpen sessions, the timeline for his eventual return remains unknown at this point.