Astros’ Lance McCullers Jr. to Miss Start of MLB Season With Muscle Strain

The World Series champs will start the year short-handed.

The reigning World Series champs will be down a key member of the starting rotation to start the 2023 MLB season. 

Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers announced Wednesday that he's dealing with a "small muscle strain" which will require him to rehab and miss Opening Day. McCullers told reporters he underwent an MRI on Tuesday which revealed the muscle injury. 

According to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, Houston is shutting McCullers down for a few weeks as he rehabs the muscle strain. While he didn’t clarify when he expects to be back, the right-hander indicated the season-opening series against the White Sox is out of the picture. 

"I'm not going to lie. It's been a tough couple of days just having to come to the reality that I'm not going to be a part of the team to open the season and I'm going to have to undergo another rehab," said McCullers on Wednesday at Spring Training, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

The 29-year-old has been battered by injuries over the past few seasons. Last year, McCullers didn't make a single appearance until August due to a forearm issue. He ended the season with just eight regular-season starts. McCullers missed the entire 2019 MLB season and has made a total of 47 appearances in the subsequent three campaigns.

He'll be unavailable for the Astros when the regular season gets underway, and McCullers didn't shy away from the fact that he's frustrated over the prospect of yet another injury rehab. 

This marks the second consecutive season in which McCullers will be sidelined for Opening Day, and Houston will be forced to begin its World Series defense down a key starter.