Lance McCullers Jr.'s inspiring return offers Astros more than just a cheerful story

Nearly 900 days after he last set foot on the mound in a game, Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. returned to the bump this week, throwing 13 pitches in a Grapefruit League game and garnering national headlines in the process in one of the spring's top 'feel-good' stories.

But for Houston, Tuesday's outing against the Washington Nationals is so much more than a heartwarming story. Facing a payroll crunch and a push to sneak under the luxury tax threshold to open the season, the Astros' pitching depth is notably more diminished than what we've seen in recent years — and a healthy McCullers could be a huge early season addition.

"I've said this before: [McCullers is] going to help us," Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters after the appearance. "When Lance McCullers is healthy, he's a weapon. I expect him to be a weapon for us this year."

Lance McCullers Jr.'s inspiring return offers the Astros some much-needed depth

Eyeing a late-April date to re-join the big-league team after continuing to build up his pitch count, McCullers will throw simulated games soon before starting a minor-league rehab assignment. Assuming all goes well, he could be ready to take his spot on the team's 26-man roster and reclaim a spot in the starting rotation.

The Astros staff is headlined by left-hander Framber Valdez and also includes the likes of Hunter Brown, Ronel Blanco, Spencer Arrighetti and newcomer Hayden Wesneski. Valdez, Brown, and Arrighetti all carry sub-3.00 ERAs this spring, but only Valdez and Brown are projected to be worth even 1.5 fWAR this season, according to FanGraphs.

To be fair, FanGraphs isn't projecting anything outrageous from McCullers either, but he represents Houston's best internal hope at defending their longstanding hold on the American League West. If ownership is dead-set on staying under the first CBT threshold (and Roster Resource has them less than $5 million below it), external rotation additions probably aren't in the cards.

Keep in mind that Houston is on the hook to McCullers for $17.7 million both this season and next, so even if you're thinking solely in financial terms, they need to get positive value out of the 31-year-old. He's the fifth-highest-paid player on the roster behind only Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, Yordan Alvarez, and Josh Hader, so there's a lot riding on his successful return to the mound.

The Astros need players like McCullers to step up and pitch meaningful innings for them this season, period. The AL West is very much seems up for grabs; the Texas Rangers' healthy and reloaded roster, the dominant pitching of the Seattle Mariners, and a team on the rise in the Athletics. If they get anything close to the guy he was in 2021 — his last full season with the team — Houston could be better positioned than initially thought to claim another division title in 2025.

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