Houston Astros Shut Down Oft-Injured Starting Pitcher From Throwing

Not the news you want to hear right before spring training.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. is undergoing treatment and has been "temporarily" shut down from throwing due to arm soreness, according to manager Dusty Baker.

Dusty Baker says he has no update on Lance McCullers Jr other than to say “he’s just getting treatment. He’s feeling pretty good. He’s feeling better.” Says Lance has been “temporarily” shut down from pitching. “We feel he’ll be all right.” pic.twitter.com/NOfxRdzthv

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) February 18, 2023

McCullers, who was limited to just eight starts last season due to arm troubles, doesn't have a specific diagnosis beyond being "a little sore" at the moment.

Given his extensive injury history, it's not good to hear.

While there's still plenty of time for this to turn out to be nothing more than a minor setback, McCullers' past injury record makes this slightly concerning.

The Astros will likely provide further updates once he's cleared to resume a throwing program.

The twenty-nine-year-old has compiled a strong 3.16 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, with 291 strikeouts across 265 innings and 47 starts over the last three seasons.

McCullers is truly one of the best-starting pitchers in all of baseball, when healthy, and it would be great to see another full season of him this year. Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports