Lance McCullers Jr.'s strong return shouldn’t change Astros plans going forward

Lance McCullers Jr. checked a lot of boxes for the Houston Astros in his first MLB start since 2022. After numerous injuries and setbacks, McCullers was finally back on the bump for the Astros on Sunday. McCullers didn't give up an earned run, struck out roughly one batter per inning, and his stuff looked good. Obviously going a little deeper in the game would've been better, but throwing 87 pitches in his first action after two-plus years on the IL was more than enough.

It would be tempting, following this start, to just slot McCullers in and move forward with a traditional five-man starting rotation. However, the state of the Astros' rotation, as well as their upcoming schedule, suggests that McCullers' outing shouldn't deter Houston from going with a six-man rotation.

Lance McCullers Jr. was great, but the Astros should use a six-man rotation

The Astros need to figure out how to keep the pitching staff playing well going forward. Hunter Brown has been great, Framber Valdez and Ryan Gusto have held things down, and the bullpen has been phenomenal at the start of the season. Houston's pitchers are the strength of this year's roster at the moment, and getting the absolute best out of them must take priority.

Brown is a power pitcher, Ronel Blanco needs more rest in between starts, and McCullers is still building back up following his long layoff. Bringing Gusto back into the fold and going with a six-man rotation is a great way to bake in some extra rest.

Beginning May 9, the Astros play 17 games in a row without a day off. If the Astros don't find additional methods to give extra rest to their starting pitchers, that brutal stretch of games could cause some real problems.

It seems like the Astros realize the task at hand and could go with a six-man rotation. Houston needs to account for the potential return of Spencer Arrighetti in a of couple weeks, but the schedule is a known issue and Houston is clearly planning for it. One only hopes that the Astros didn't look at McCullers' return and decide to pivot in the wrong direction.

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