McCullers finishes 2025 strong, looks forward to healthy 2026

ANAHEIM -- This winter will be veteran right-hander Lance McCullers Jr.’s first healthy offseason in five years, which he hopes can set him up to come back stronger in 2026 -- the final year of the five-year, $85 million contract extension he signed before the 2021 season.

McCullers was activated from the injured list Sunday and started the Astros’ final game of the season, allowing two hits and one run -- a homer to Mike Trout -- and struck out four batters in three innings of work in Houston’s 6-2 win at Angel Stadium. Colton Gordon followed McCullers with five hitless innings, and the Astros bashed four homers for the second game in a row to finish 87-75.

Being able to walk off the mound feeling good about his outing should also benefit McCullers following a season in which he returned to action for the first time in 2 1/2 years, only to land on the injured list three more times.

McCullers finished with a 6.51 ERA in 55 1/3 innings over 16 games, including three relief appearances, around trips to the injured list for a right foot sprain in June, a blister in July and August and right hand soreness in September. In all, he missed 91 games on the IL, which is why Sunday was important.

“It was nice to get out there and compete,” McCullers said. “Obviously, today's game didn't mean much for us as a team, but really proud of the way the guys showed up. I mean, Gordon was fabulous today, saw a lot of guys putting together great at-bats and finishing the year strong. So we retained most of this group and look forward to a better, more healthy 2026.”

The Astros finished one win shy of reaching the postseason for the ninth year in a row. McCullers has been a huge part of the Astros’ playoff runs in the last decade, including throwing four scoreless innings to close out the 2017 American League Championship Series against the Yankees.

More recently, he threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the 2021 AL Division Series vs. the White Sox and then four solid innings in the clinching Game 4 win in Chicago. He also threw six scoreless innings in an 18-inning clinching win in Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS in Seattle. He gave up five homers in 4 1/3 innings in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia, which was his last appearance in a game prior to this year.

McCullers compared this year’s Astros team to the 2016 club that narrowly missed the postseason but retooled and came back and won a World Series in ‘17.

“Any way you cut it, we didn't accomplish what we set out to do in spring, which is win a World Series,” McCullers said. “I don't know how many teams truly leave Spring Training with that goal. Obviously, it was ours and we fell way short of it because we didn't even get in the dance.”

McCullers hopes to be able to add some velocity to his pitches this winter with the combination of rest and his workouts. His sinker topped out at 93.1 mph on Sunday, which is about where it has been this season. He struck out 9.92 batters per nine innings this year, so he can still fool hitters.

“Overall, my stuff is there,” he said. “I can gain a little bit of velo. That should hopefully come back. It takes guys some time after major surgeries and I've had a couple, so just continue to put the work in and understand that it's still there, just have to find a way to be just a little bit more consistent.”

And stay healthy.

McCullers missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, injured his flexor tendon in Game 4 of the ‘21 ALDS and spent most of the next season rehabbing.

McCullers, who underwent surgery in June 2023 to repair a flexor tendon and suffered a setback last season, made his long-awaited return May 4 of this season and has had ups and downs. He was rocked for seven runs on three hits, three walks and a hit batter in one-third of an inning against the Reds in his second start of the season May 10 and then struck out 12 batters in six innings May 28 against the A’s. He threw six scoreless innings June 3 in Pittsburgh and allowed one run in six innings July 4 at the Dodgers.

“I had some good moments throughout the year, had some bad ones, too,” he said. “I pitched against the Dodgers really well, had 12 strikeouts in a game, so I know it’s there. I just have to find a way to be towards that top end [results-wise] a little bit more.”