Lance McCullers of the Houston Astros is dealing with a sore arm, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Lance McCullers Jr. is ?a little sore? after throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday, Dusty Baker said. Baker didn?t specify what is sore other than to say ?it?s the same thing.? Baker did not sound concerned.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) February 17, 2023
While a sore arm in mid-February is usually not something to worry about, it is worth noting that McCullers only made eight starts last season due to arm problems. When healthy, McCullers is an above-average starter with his 2.27 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, along with 50 Ks in 47.2 IP last season, but it would seem unlikely the Astros can expect an entire season from McCullers. He’s never thrown more than 163 (2021) innings in a season, and that was the only time he threw more than 130 innings pitched.
Houston doesn’t have Justin Verlander in their rotation anymore, so they don’t possess the depth they once had, but when each of their five starters is healthy, it is still one of the best rotations in the game.
The Astros aren’t expected to have a problem winning the American League West as they are -200 to capture the title again. You can find the odds for every MLB team to win their division on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
