Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. will miss the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday, the team announced.
While McCullers Jr. is expected to make a full recovery, his absence next season leaves another hole in Houston's already slim starting rotation. Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchal are free agents this winter, leaving only Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole remaining in a rotation that had the lowest ERA (3.16) of any staff in 2018.
Houston's depth chart lists Collin McHugh and Josh James as starters, but McHugh worked only as a reliever last season.