Overview
- McCullers faced hitters in a live batting-practice session on Friday and threw 25 pitches at Daikin Park with velocity in the low 90s and reported good feel on sliders and changeups.
- He said his next move will be either another live bullpen or a minor-league rehab start, and the Astros will set a clearer return date once he completes that next step.
- The team placed McCullers on the injured list in mid-May for right shoulder inflammation and he has described the problem as a rotator-cuff impingement after pitching through soreness for several starts.
- Other Astros starters are also advancing through rehab work as Ronel Blanco made a Florida Complex League rehab start and Cristian Javier is scheduled to begin a Triple-A rehab outing this weekend, which could help stabilize the rotation.
- McCullers is in the final year of a five-year extension and has a history of arm surgery and lengthy recoveries, so the club is tracking measured milestones rather than setting an immediate role to protect his long-term health and the pitching staff’s depth.