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Lance McCullers Jr.'s time with the Houston Astros has not gone the way anyone hoped going back to 2019. McCullers Jr. needed Tommy John surgery, bounced back with strong efforts in 2020 and 2021, and then proceeded to miss most of the next three seasons and a good portion of this one. As talented as McCullers Jr. is, some guys just have bodies that cannot hold up to the rigors of starting in MLB and his latest injury should be the last straw.
It isn't like McCullers Jr. had been pitching well before he went on the injured list with a blister. Since returning from his lengthy layoff, McCullers Jr. has posted a 6.90 ERA in 11 appearances with encouraging strikeout numbers, but far less encouraging command and...well, everything else.
With all of his injury issues as well as the very obvious trouble finding the strike zone, something has to change. Even if it is only for the rest of the season, the Astros need to move McCullers Jr. to the bullpen once he comes back.
Lance McCullers Jr. needs to prove he belongs in the Astros' rotation before he gets another chance
Again, this is not all McCullers Jr.'s "fault" per se. Unfortunately, he has just dealt with a litany of injuries and that is going to create a lot of rust as well as impact his ability to hold up during starts. However, his stuff is still really good in short bursts, so Houston should just let him let it rip in short stints.
On the surface, that choice could cause some problems for the Astros' beleaguered rotation. That said, Cristian Javier, Spencer Arrighetti, and Luis Garcia are all getting pretty close to returning from their own injuries and, if we are being honest, all three of them inspire more confidence as starters right now than McCullers Jr.
Could McCullers Jr. eventually make his way back to the rotation? Sure, McCullers has clearly shown in the past that he can be very effective in that role. However, he needs to show that he can stay healthy for any appreciable amount of time and have his stuff hold up over time before he gets that chance again.