Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., who hasn't pitched in 2 years, to miss 2nd consecutive season

HOUSTON, Texas -- Houston Astros veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. likely will miss the rest of the season while he recovers from injuries that forced him to shut down from throwing a month ago during his rehabilitation.

Astros manager Joe Espada made the announcement Sunday before Houston lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0. McCullers will miss his second straight season after undergoing surgery in June 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur in his pitching elbow. He had hoped to return to the Astros for a stretch run in which they are battling the Seattle Mariners for first place in the American League West.

McCullers, 30, hasn't pitched since 2022, when he went 4-2 with a 2.27 ERA in eight starts for the Astros. He is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in 130 games (127 starts) in seven major league seasons, all with the Astros. He was an All-Star in 2017, when he finished 7-4 with a 4.25 ERA in 22 starts.

McCullers had progressed to throwing bullpen sessions in Houston this season, but he was taken off his rehab assignment last month. Espada said McCullers has no structural damage in his pitching elbow, but the manager gave no specific reason for the latest setback.

"Where he's at right now, I think it's safe to say I don't think he'll pitch this season," Espada said Sunday. "It would be almost too much to ask him to ramp up and get him back this season. Everything is moving in the right direction, but with the number of games, that's where we're at."

Astros right-hander Justin Verlander, who is recovering from neck stiffness, threw a 37-pitch live batting practice session, topping out at 94 mph, on Sunday before his club's loss. Espada said the plan is for Verlander to start a rehab assignment next weekend.

Information from Field Level Media and the Associated Press was used in this report.