Astros Place Lance McCullers Jr. on IL, Depth Issues Mount

The Houston Astros placed right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 16, due to right shoulder inflammation. The move comes as the club continues to struggle with injuries and inconsistent pitching. In a corresponding move, the Astros reinstated right-hander Nate Pearson from the 15-day IL. Outfielder Jake Meyers was also reinstated from the 10-day IL while infielder Shay Whitcomb was optioned down.

McCullers was scheduled to start Wednesday’s game but was scratched hours before first pitch. Right-hander Jason Alexander will take the mound instead. Manager Joe Espada told Chandler Rome of The Athletic that McCullers has been dealing with shoulder pain for “a while.” The team is sending McCullers to Houston for further evaluation, though the timeline for his return remains uncertain.

Injuries have plagued McCullers for years. He missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to a flexor injury requiring surgery. In 2025, he made 16 appearances with a 6.51 ERA. This year, McCullers has a 6.86 ERA in eight starts. While his performance has declined, his absence adds to a growing list of pitching concerns for the Astros.

The Astros are already without Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier, both on the IL with shoulder strains. Ronel Blanco, Brandon Walter, and Hayden Wesneski are still recovering from Tommy John surgeries. The team has had to rely on a deep rotation, with 12 different pitchers making starts so far this season. Tatsuya Imai’s workload has been managed with a six-man rotation at times.

With McCullers out, the Astros will likely continue using Jason Alexander and Mike Burrows in the rotation. Burrows is scheduled to start Thursday’s game. The team is off on Friday, providing a brief break before a stretch of ten consecutive games.

The Astros’ current rotation includes Burrows, Imai, Spencer Arrighetti, Peter Lambert, and Kai-Wei Teng. If Alexander doesn’t stick around, the club could call up Miguel Ullola, Colton Gordon, or Ryan Weiss from Triple-A. Ullola has a 6.03 ERA and 16.8% walk rate in the minors. Chandler Rome suggests Ethan Pecko could be an option, though he’s not on the 40-man roster.

The Astros are 19-30 through their first 49 games and must continue relying on unproven arms to remain competitive. Their next game is Thursday afternoon against the San Diego Padres.