Astros scratch Lance McCullers Jr., place starting pitcher on 15-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation

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The Houston Astros entered Tuesday with a 19-30 record and the worst ERA (5.45) in MLB. Their injury-riddled pitching staff took another hit hours before first pitch, when they scratched starter Lance McCullers Jr. ahead of a road matchup versus the Minnesota Twins.

Houston placed McCullers on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to May 16. Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters the righty has been pitching through shoulder pain “for a while.”

“He’s been recovering well, kind of your normal, typical post-start soreness,” Espada said pregame, per The Athletic. “But this week, he wasn’t able to get rid of it. We decided to get him seen by our doctors.”

McCullers is the latest member of Houston’s season-opening starting rotation to be bitten by the injury bug. He’ll join Cristian Javier and Hunter Brown on the IL, where those two are healing from Grade 2 shoulder strains.

Another right-handed pitcher, Jason Alexander, took McCullers’ place on the mound Tuesday. The Astros recalled Alexander from Triple-A Sugar Land earlier this week.

They also reinstated outfielder Jake Meyers and right-handed reliever Nate Pearson from the IL, optioning Shay Whitcomb to Triple-A Sugar Land in the process.

The Astros sent the 32-year-old McCullers back to Houston for further evaluation and treatment. Injuries have plagued the former All-Star and two-time World Series champion throughout his Astros tenure. He has missed three full seasons.

McCullers had Tommy John surgery in 2018. In 2023, he needed flexor tendon repair. Now he’s in the final season of a five-year extension reportedly worth $85 million.

He has made eight starts and recorded a 6.86 ERA during the Astros’ frustrating 2026 campaign. Last year, across 13 starts, his ERA ballooned to 6.51, by far his highest since 2017, when he clocked out with a 4.25 ERA.

On May 6, McCullers exited a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers early, telling reporters postgame that a portion of the fingernail on his right index finger “popped off” during the third inning.

McCullers bounced back to throw 5 1/3 innings in a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on May 13. But less than a week later, he landed on the IL due to right shoulder inflammation.

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