What Will Lance McCullers Mean To The Houston Astros?
The Houston Astros announced yet another call-up to their ever-burgeoning roster full of prospects.
Who’s the call up this time?
That would none other than right-hand pitcher Lance McCullers.
The Astros announced the move yesterday and here’s what general manager Jeff Luhnow had to say about that:
#Astros GM @jluhnow on promotion of RHP Lance McCullers, Jr. "He gives us a chance to win now in Houston." pic.twitter.com/VUVJd2lUGJ
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 15, 2015
This actually comes as a slight surprise as it was just announced Thursday that he’d be promoted to the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies.
But the Astros had a change of heart and decided that he was fit to skip the Triple-A level and go straight to the majors.
The Astros need some help at the bottom-end of the rotation with the news that Brett Oberholtzer will be on the shelf for some time.
He pitched only three innings this past Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants before the top layer of the skin of his blister on his left index finger — his throwing hand — came off, making it difficult to continue. He expects to only miss two starts but that observation is predicated on how quickly he can recover.
The Astros made a corresponding move to call up RHP Jake Buchanan from Triple-A Fresno to take Obie’s spot — but he’s going straight to the bullpen. With a hole in the starting rotation, the call-up for McCullers turned out to be the solution to their dilemma.
Live Feed
Climbing Tal's Hill
It may be a short or a long stay depending on how long it takes for him to heal. Not only that but any inhibitor to the Astros momentum could be detrimental to their success.
This is certainly the reason why the Astros decided to make the move to call up McCullers. It’s quite obvious the Astros are worried more about the “now’ rather than the “future.”
Weren’t we all wondering when we’d finally transition to that point?
It looks like we’re there as we are perched at the top of the AL West with a 23-13 record and a three-game winning streak. If the Astros were in the NL Central, they’d be fighting for the top spot with the St. Louis Cardinals!
More from Houston Astros
- Astros-Twins Wild Card Series: 5 things to know as MLB postseason begins
- Houston Astros: Playoffs require stronger finish
- Houston Astros: Three reasons why team should trade Josh Reddick now
- Houston Astros: Assessing the lineup without Yordan Álvarez
- Houston Astros: Why the pitching rotation is coming together at right time
There is some benefit to being in the AL! Any way, the McCullers call up will be a boon for the Astros and they seem confident that he’s primed to compete in the majors.
He may have some struggles as he adjusts to the majors but it’s not something that any prospect hasn’t dealt with before. He’ll start at the bottom-end of the rotation but I do see potential for him to elevate to the No. 3 spot over time.
The major component to the Astros success has been the strong production of our pitching staff and McCullers will be excellent addition to an trend that continues upward.
Nonetheless, this is exciting news for Astros’ fans alike and his first start will be this Monday against the Oakland A’s as reported by the Astros:
#Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced Lance McCullers, Jr. will start Monday at #MMP against the A’s.
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 15, 2015
McCullers, 21, earned a 3-1 record, 0.62 ERA, allowing only 15 hits, two earned runs, walking 11 and fanning 43 batters in six games — four starts — with the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks this season. His WHIP remained steady at 0.90.
Congrats on the promotion Lance and welcome to the Astros! Now it’s time to crush it!
Go ‘Stros!