HOUSTON — Lance McCullers Jr.'s season is over before it even began.
The Houston Astros pitcher will miss the entire 2023 season but is expected to return during the 2024 season as the team announced he underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a tendon and remove a bone spur.
McCullers, who has a well-documented injury history, had issues with his right arm flare-up back in February, which led to him being temporarily shut down. Manager Dusty Baker later confirmed McCullers would miss Opening Day for the 'Stros with a muscle strain.
The Astros placed McCullers on the 15-day injured list at the end of March with hopes that he could return towards the end of April. While he started throwing again in May, McCullers suffered a setback during his rehab.
"After the injury happened in February, Lance worked his tail off to get back on the mound," General Manager Dana Brown said. "This guy is a warrior and did everything in his power to get back. But each time he built himself up to an increased pitch total off the mound, the pain would come back. It's unfortunate, but we look forward to him being back on the mound next season."
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The 29-year-old McCullers has been a fan favorite since making his debut with the organization in 2015.
McCullers previously underwent Tommy John surgery after missing the entire 2019 season, before coming back for 2020 and 2021.
