⚾️💔 Lance McCullers Jr. Benched for 2023 – Suffers Another Knock in His Star-Crossed Astros Journey 🌠🏥
TL;DR;
Astros’ star pitcher, Lance McCullers Jr. won’t be lighting up the mound in 2023 📅 following a necessary surgery on his right forearm 💪. McCullers’ career has seen its fair share of ups and downs, with the player bouncing back from a series of injuries throughout his time with the Astros. But could this new hurdle have any lasting impacts on the Astros’ dreams for the season and beyond? 🤔💭
The Full Dish:
Buckle up baseball fans, ’cause this might sting a little. 🤕⚾️
Lance McCullers Jr., the right-handed ripper from the Houston Astros, has hit another speed bump on his rollercoaster career. This time, it’s a tricky flexor tendon and a stubborn bone spur in his right forearm that needed some surgical TLC. But here’s the real fastball—our guy is officially benched for the whole of 2023! 😱
Sounds like a tough break, right? 🤔 But get this: This isn’t McCullers’ first rodeo with the injury monster. His fastball first hit the wall back in 2021 during Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the White Sox. He bounced back in 2022, gracing the mound for eight regular season starts and even delivering in the postseason for another Astros World Series. Talk about a comeback kid! 💪⚾️
But it seems like this injury was a silent enemy. 😶👻 The pain returned in February during a bullpen session in West Palm Beach, and since then, it’s been a game of cat and mouse, with McCullers trying to soldier on. But alas, the pain was just too real. 😔
So, what does this mean for our dear Astros? 🤷♂️⚾️ Despite his injuries, McCullers has been a shining star in the team, with stats that are hard to ignore. He’s got 49-32 in his Major League career with a 3.48 ERA, 800 strikeouts in 718.2 innings pitched and a .215 opponents’ batting average. At Minute Maid Park, he’s at 28-11 with a 2.67 ERA, the lowest in the franchise history among starting pitchers (min. 60 GS). He’s also got a 3.47 ERA in 72.2 career postseason innings, ranking second in franchise history.
Impressive, right? 😮💨 But injuries have been a recurring antagonist in McCullers’ story, from a back injury in 2017 to a Tommy John surgery in 2018, before his triumphant return in the pandemic shortened 2020 season. It’s like a Hollywood movie, only with more curveballs (literal and figurative)! 🎥⚾️
Given his track record, it’s clear that McCullers is a fighter. He’s proved his mettle and shown that he’s no quitter. But how will the Astros adjust their strategy without their star player? And will McCullers return to form in the 2024 season? 🏋️♂️
So, to our baseball-loving readers, here’s a big question to ponder over your peanuts and Cracker Jacks: 🥜🍿 With McCullers Jr. on the bench, how will this impact the Astros’ 2023 season, and who do you think will step up
