McCullers dealt tough blow as foot sprain lands him on IL

WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Astros’ rotation took another hit Monday when right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Friday, with a right foot sprain.

Houston hopes McCullers will miss only the minimum 15 days, manager Joe Espada said before Monday’s 3-1, walk-off loss to the Athletics at Sutter Health Park.

“Hopefully this is not something that is long-term,” Espada said.

McCullers rolled his foot in what Espada called a “freak accident” in the Astros’ weight room on Saturday, suffering a sprain near his right big toe. He stayed back in Houston as the team began a seven-game road trip to West Sacramento and Anaheim on Monday.

Right-hander Ryan Gusto drew the start Monday in place of McCullers, who is the seventh Houston starter currently on the injured list. Two of those pitchers (Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco) are out for 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, while Luis Garcia and Cristian Javier are on the way back from elbow surgeries of their own and should return to the mound later this year.

McCullers came off the IL on May 4 to make his first start since the 2022 World Series. He missed all of 2023 after undergoing surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow and remove a bone spur, but his intended return in 2024 didn’t go as planned. McCullers suffered a setback in his recovery, was shut down from throwing and was eventually ruled out for the entire season.

McCullers has made seven starts this season with a 4.91 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. His most recent outing came Tuesday against the White Sox at Daikin Park, when he gave up four runs on four hits in five innings, walking four and striking out six.

McCullers’ outing kicked off a stretch of 13 games without an off-day for the Astros, prompting the team to switch to a six-man rotation. Rookie Brandon Walter slotted into the sixth starter role nicely, pitching 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball Sunday and striking out nine against the Twins.

The Astros opted to keep left-handers Framber Valdez and Colton Gordon on track to start Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, against the A’s. Right-hander Jason Alexander, who was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday to take McCullers’ spot on the roster, will start Tuesday’s game.

The 32-year-old Alexander is in familiar territory in West Sacramento after making four appearances this season with the Athletics, all in relief. His only other MLB stint was 18 appearances (11 starts) for the Brewers in 2022.