Astros may be forced to bring back Lance McCullers Jr. in 2026 for very familiar reason

The Houston Astros have many reasons to move on from Lance McCullers Jr. this offseason. McCullers hasn’t been able to stay healthy since 2021, with his most recent IL stint (hand soreness) marking the fourth time that McCullers has missed time in 2025 alone.

When McCullers returned to an MLB mound for Houston in May following an absurd, 915-day absence dating back to 2022, the Astros were optimistic. ‘Perhaps McCullers will return to form!’ the most positive-thinking minds in Houston’s clubhouse may have thought. However, any hopes or plans of McCullers being a regular contributor this season have turned out to be severe miscalculations.

Despite owing $18 million to McCullers next season, the Astros have to be considering parting ways with the right-hander. The dreariest news of all with McCullers, however, is that Houston may ultimately need to rely on him in 2026.

Astros’ decimated pitching staff could provide Lance McCullers Jr. with one final shot

Houston’s starting rotation outside of Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez has been an utter mess in 2025. Even so, McCullers hasn’t been good or available enough to help the situation, and the Astros even moved him to the bullpen once they were finally tired of being disappointed.

All signs indicate that Houston has lost all confidence in McCullers’ ability to be even a high-leverage reliever. His numbers don’t do anything to argue against such a stance. The 31-year-old tallied a 6.88 ERA and 1.85 WHIP this year in 52 1/3 innings.

So, why on Earth are we talking about McCullers’ viable spot in Houston’s rotation next season? Because McCullers could end up being the lesser of, in this case, four evils once the 2026 season begins, the other three being injured starters Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, and Brandon Walter, each of whom will begin next season on the IL while still recovering from surgeries. It is out of sheer necessity and nothing else that Houston may need to rely on McCullers to begin 2026.

Then again, there’s still the possibility that the Astros could be sick of this familiar story (injured starting pitchers), that they go out and acquire more arms on the market this winter, possibly some veterans on cheap, short-term deals to serve as stopgap solutions while Blanco, Wesneski, and Walter rehab their way back.

Either way, Houston will be faced with a decision on McCullers, whose 2025 season is surely over, by the way. Since the Astros are already paying McCullers big money for another season, anyway, they could decide to hedge that awful predicament by throwing McCullers out there in the first segment of the season, closing their eyes, and praying that he can eat some innings.

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