The Houston Astros have many reasons to move on from Lance McCullers Jr. this offseason. McCullers hasn’t been able to stay healthy since 2021, with his most recent IL stint (hand soreness) marking the fourth time that McCullers has missed time in 2025 alone.
When McCullers returned to an MLB mound for Houston in May following an absurd, 915-day absence dating back to 2022, the Astros were optimistic. ‘Perhaps McCullers will return to form!’ the most positive-thinking minds in Houston’s clubhouse may have thought. However, any hopes or plans of McCullers being a regular contributor this season have turned out to be severe miscalculations.