Tytus Howard and Matt Kalil remain out for the Texans but get success from their fill-ins
4 observations from Texans practice Aug. 20
Aug 20, 2019, 11:20 pm
@EdClarke03/Eddie Clarke
If you missed the observations from Monday you can find them here
Matt Kalil is the starting left tackle and might be hurt but might not be
Bill O’Brien’s entire exchange on if Matt Kalil is hurt. He is also asked if Kalil will start week one. #Texans pic.twitter.com/kinSbS2dgx
— patrick (@PatDStat) August 20, 2019
Bill O'Brien hates questions about injuries but this one really set him off. His defensiveness about Matt Kalil is interesting. Roderick Johnson has played well recently and arguably better than Kalil the last time Kalil saw the field. If Johnson is better he should play and someone else can backup Johnson and Kalil can be gone. If Kalil is truly better then he should start at left tackle but he hasn't looked solid in weeks.
O'Brien getting defensive leads credence to the thought Kalil is dealing with an injury. If he is injured, Johnson might and maybe even should pass Kalil on depth chart.
Howard's left hand injury
Tytus Howard has a cast on his left hand. It covers his index finger and middle finger on his left hand. It seems he has a broken finger. He likely won't play and might not practice until the week of the Saints game. Depending on how it heals, and how painful it is, he shouldn't miss regular season time.
1-on-1 winners
Roderick Johnson won a solo rep against Whitney Mercilus.
D.J. Reader worked center Nick Martin.
Max Scharping stuffed his defender.
Seantrell Henderson did an admirable job against J.J. Watt but I would say Watt won the rep.
The offense and defense split the 2v2 reps.
Offensive line projection
Starters in bold. Positions I believe they are comfortable playing and have at least seen them have some success at during camp. I projected eight players. They kept eight players last year in a more dire offensive line situation. I don't see why that can't be the case again.
Matt Kalil (LT)
Tytus Howard (LG)
Nick Martin (C)
Zach Fulton (RG,C,LG)
Seantrell Henderson (RT)
Max Scharping (RG)
Roderick Johnson (LT,RT)
Greg Mancz (C)
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Lance McCullers Jr is to start Sunday for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia.
“I’m really excited to have him on the mound on Sunday,” Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday. “He’s worked his tail off to get back to this point, and this whole entire team and this city should be excited to get Lance back.”
An All-Star in 2018, McCullers had surgery on June 13, 2023, to repair his right flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur. The 31-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session last June but had a setback and was shut down for the year. He has made four minor league rehab starts this year, allowing four runs and 10 hits over 12 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts and six walks.
In his last appearance, he struck out seven in five shutout innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.
“My last two outings I’ve felt really good, my stuff has been pretty crisp,” McCullers said.
He is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons, all with Houston. McCullers first injured his flexor tendon while pitching on short rest during the 2021 AL Division Series. He missed the first four months of the 2022 season.
“Been waiting for it for a long time,” McCullers said. “Almost feel like I’m making my debut in some aspects, but it’s been a really long road for me.”
McCullers has missed three full seasons since making his major league debut in 2015.
“It would’ve been a pretty sad ending to my story,” McCullers said.