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In what's become a familiar refrain for the Houston Astros, starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. will not be ready for Opening Day due to injury. The right-hander told reporters Wednesday that he has a "small muscle strain" in his throwing forearm:
"I’ve been a little bit upset. I was really looking forward to a great start to the camp and great start to the season. Any time this happens, it’s very frustrating for me and the team and the fanbase."
While McCullers said that an MRI revealed no structural damage to his elbow, the Astros will be without a pitcher that has been penciled into the team's rotation.
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Astros fans are taking the news with an eye-roll. McCullers missed the 2021 American League Championship Series and World Series, as well as a large chunk of the 2022 season with a forearm injury.
When McCullers has been able to pitch for the Houston Astros, he's been a solid hurler. Over seven years, he's gone 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 800 strikeouts. However, durability has always been his Achilles' heel. His high for games started in a season is 28 games in 2021 -- the same season where he missed the postseason due to injury.
Many Houston Astros fans are simply ready to move on from McCullers. The team has an extraordinary amount of pitching depth. This is even after the loss of 2022 American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to the New York Mets in free agency.
With the Astros' pitching depth, McCullers was likely headed toward becoming Houston's fifth starter in 2023. With him now on the shelf, 24-year-old prospect Hunter Brown is likely the top choice to replace him. Brown logged a 0.89 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 22 strikeouts over 20 1/3 innings in a seven-game big-league debut last season.
Houston Astros pitching staff still stocked
Even with Verlander gone, the Astros are still well set in the starting rotation. Framber Valdez leads the staff into 2023, and will likely get the Opening Day start. Cristian Javier could be a staff ace on many MLB teams, and is Houston's No. 2. Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy are currently listed as the No. 3 and 4 starters, according to Fangraphs.com, with Brown likely to be the No. 5.
