Left-handed hurler Lance McCullers Jr. was scheduled to start for the Houston Astros on Monday night against the Athletics, but has now been scratched due to an injury.
A right foot sprain will send McCullers Jr. to the IL for 15 days (retroactive to June 13). Ryan Gusto starts in his place tonight.
McCullers Jr. has thrown just 29.1 innings across seven starts for the Astros this season. In that span, he’s tallied a 4.91 ERA and 1.43 WHIP, though he’s striking out batters at an elite rate with 39 punchouts and an 11.97 K/9.
With the veteran headed to IL, the Astros now have five starting pitchers on the injured list. McCullers Jr. joins Cristian Javier, J.P. France, Luis Garcia, and Spencer Arrighetti on the sidelines.
Despite the battered rotation, Houston remains 41-30 at first place in the AL West with a 4.5-game lead on the Seattle Mariners. Coming off a series sweep over the Minnesota Twins with an 8-2 record across their last 10 games, the Astros bring momentum into tonight’s slash with the A’s.
