McCullers to face Kershaw in Sunday return

Lance McCullers Jr.’s arm-saving hiatus is to end this weekend, when he’s reinserted into the rotation Sunday in a matchup with the big kahuna, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

Mike Fiers pitches opposite Houston resident

Brett Anderson and Scott Kazmir squares off with Zack Greinke in the first two games of the series, Friday and Saturday respectively.

With the Astros carrying seven relievers after carrying eight most of the year, the likelihood is the team will option a position player to make room for McCullers, barring some other unforeseen change to the roster, such as an injury.

The demoted player won’t be gone long, because the rosters expand in September. Dropping to six relievers is unlikely.

McCullers on Tuesday threw three innings and allowed one unearned run for Class AA Corpus Christi, the team he’s been with since the Astros optioned him Aug. 3. He struck out five and walked three.

The 21-year-old righty had yet to pitch for Corpus in a game setting prior to Tuesday because the Astros want to limit his workload. He worked on the side instead.

McCullers has thrown 1082⁄3 innings between the majors and minors this year, after throwing 97 innings last year.

The expectation is McCullers will continue to get starts the rest of the way for the Astros, assuming he performs similarly to his previous stint here: a 3.17 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning in 14 starts.

“He’s been one of our best throughout the season so he obviously will be given the opportunity,” manager A.J. Hinch said.

If McCullers isn’t up for a full 100- to 110-pitch workload in his first start back, he shouldn’t be too far from it, Hinch indicated.

The Astros do not plan to go to a continuous sixman rotation because it takes pitchers too far off their routine.

Starters might occasionally be skipped and then re-inserted, but the two leaders of the rotation,

Dallas Keuchel and Scott Kazmir are expected to remain on turn.

Hinch said there isn’t thought of pushing one of the other starters, such as

Scott Feldman or Fiers, into the bullpen.

“We start with who’s the best option to start the game, and everyone else would have to adjust,” Hinch said.

Karen Warren photos / Houston Chronicle The Rays’ Tim Beckham (1) jumps over Astros catcher Hank Conger to score during the seventh inning.

Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena pleads that he is safe after he was tagged out at second by the Rays’ Logan Forsythe in the 12th inning Wednesday night.