Righthander McCullers put on injured list
Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. was placed on the injured list Sunday, two days after he failed to record an out against the Angels in Anaheim.
The ballclub said McCullers, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and did not pitch in 2019, was suffering from what it described as neck nerve irritation. The injured list move was retroactive to Saturday.
Lefthander Cionel Perez was recalled from the team’s taxi squad to take McCullers’ spot on the roster.
Sunday’s announcement came after manager Dusty Baker indicated McCullers might be moved up in the rotation after throwing only 18 pitches against the Angels on Friday.
McCullers walked four and served up Mike Trout’s 14th home run Friday before being lifted to his obvious chagrin after delivering just five strikes among 18 pitches. He left after walking the bases loaded and was charged with three runs in the Astros’ 6-5 loss in 11 innings.
The righthander said afterward he was affected by what Baker described as a “dead arm phase” that began a couple of days ago as he prepared for the start.
“It’s part of the process coming back from TJ,” McCullers said Friday. “It’s not anything to do with the actual (surgical) site. I’m not hurting or anything like that. I’m just dealing with a weird period that started a few days ago.”
General manager James Click said during his radio appearance Sunday on
KBME (790 AM) that there was no concern about anything physical stemming from the arm surgery.
Verlander throws off the mound
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander threw off the mound late last week and was scheduled to do so again Sunday as he attempts to determine if he will be ready to pitch before the end of the regular season in three weeks or during the playoffs, general manager James Click said Sunday.
Click, in his Sunday appearance on Astros radio flagship KBME (790 AM) said the team is having discussions with Verlander about the pace of his potential return and what role that might take.
Verlander has not pitched since the July 24 season opener and went on the injured list with what was described as a forearm strain.
“We’re kind of playing it safe, taking it slow, making sure that with a guy like Justin we don’t rush things back,” Click said. “The fact that he’s off the mound is a tremendous next step, but we have several steps to go before we start targeting anything concrete.”
Click acknowledged in response to a question by Astros play-by-play announcer Robert Ford that the idea of Verlander pitching out of the bullpen should he return this season is being discussed.
“It’s a conversation that we’re having with him,” Click said. “It’s going to be as much about what he is comfortable with as what we need. I don’t want to gloss over what going from a starter role to a bullpen role can do to your body, to your arm. This is a guy who his whole life has developed a routine that works for him and was obviously tremendously successful with it.”
Click said pitching out of the bullpen would remove the certainty that has determined Verlander’s routine.
Bregman may return for A’s
Third baseman Alex Bregman’s availability for the five-game series in Oakland beginning Monday is up in the air, but manager Dusty Baker said Sunday he hopes Bregman will be able to play against the division leaders.
Bregman is on the team’s taxi squad for the road trip to Anaheim, Oakland and Los Angeles but has not played since suffering a strained right hamstring in Denver on Aug. 19.
“I hope so,” Baker said of Bregman’s potential return against Oakland. “I don’t expect him. I hope so.”
Garcia to start Wednesday
With Lance McCullers Jr. going on the injured list Sunday, Astros rookie Luis Garcia will get his first career big league start Wednesday in Oakland against the division-leading A’s.
Garcia made his major league debut Friday in relief of McCullers and walked three and struck out two in 4 1⁄3 innings while allowing only one hit, a 436-foot home run by Jared Walsh in the third inning of a game the Astros lost 6-5 in 11 innings.
He will be the ninth pitcher to start a game for the injury-riddled Astros this season.
Cristian Javier (4-1) will start the opener Monday of the five-game series against Oakland against righthander Frankie Montas. Zack Greinke (3-0) and a pitcher to be named will start in Tuesday’s doubleheader for the Astros. Righthander Chris Bassitt (2-2) and lefthander Mike Minor (0-5) will start for Oakland in an undetermined order.
Lefthander Jesus Luzardo (2-2) will start for the A’s on Wednesday, and Thursday’s starters will be righthander Jose Urquidy (0-0) for Houston and lefthander Sean Manaea (3-2) for the A’s.