There hasn’t been a lot of good news lately in the world of Major League Baseball. For Houston Astros fans, the news has gotten even worse. Recently on a appearance on Maanav’s Sports Talk with Maanav Gupta, Lance McCullers Jr. revealed he is “behind” on his rehab of a flexor tendon strain and his Opening Day status is in question. He added that due to the lockout, he hasn’t been able to speak to the people he normally does when it comes to injury rehab. This has made his rehab process “a little choppy.”
Origin of the Injury
McCullers suffered a flexor tendon strain in the Astros’ Game Four win in the ALDS last year. While Houston hoped he could return later in the postseason, McCullers was left off the ALCS and World Series rosters. On his appearance on the sports talk show, he admitted the injury was worse than what everyone originally believed. McCullers said the flexor tendon in his forearm was “off the bone quite a bit.” With the severity of the injury and the “choppy” rehab process, McCullers Opening Day status is in jeopardy.
The 2021 season ended in disappointment for McCullers because of his injury in the postseason. However, the 28-year old put forth the best regular season of his career. Over a career-high 28 starts, McCullers had a 13–5 record and a 3.16 ERA while striking out 185 batters. He finished seventh in AL Cy Young award voting.
Despite the possibility of McCullers missing time to begin the season, Houston still has an impressive rotation. Justin Verlander will be returning from injury to lead this team. Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy, and Jake Odorizzi would fill out the rest of the rotation. Cristian Javier is also a great option for a rotation spot. Javier ended the season last year in a relief role, but he has been a starter most of his professional career. McCullers emerged as an ace in 2021, so his presence on the mound would be missed. However, starting pitching depth is a strength of the Astros and they should cover his absence well.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Lance McCullers Jr., Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, Jose Urquidy, Jake Odorizzi, Cristian Javier
