Astros manager reveals another bump in the road for starting rotation
DONE FOR THE SEASON
05 August 2024
DONE FOR THE SEASON
Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. won’t pitch this season, manager Joe Espada said Sunday.
McCullers hasn’t pitched since he took the loss in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros won the series in six games.
The 30-year-old had right forearm surgery in June 2023. He had been working his way back and threw a bullpen session in June but was shut down shortly after.
“Where he’s at right now, I think it’s safe to say I don’t think he’ll pitch this season,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “It’d be almost too much to ask for him to ramp up and get him back this season.”
McCullers is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons, all with Houston.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
The home run by Peraza.
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.