First place Astros dealt another blow as Lance McCullers Jr. is placed on the DL
The Astros now have three starting pitchers on the disabled list
By
Mike Axisa
•
1 min read
All things considered, the 2017 regular season has been a smashing success for the Houston Astros so far. They are 44-20 overall -- no other team has more than 41 wins -- with a comfortable 12-game lead in the AL West. There's still plenty of season left, so we can't say the division race is over, but the 'Stros sure are sitting pretty.
It's a good thing the Astros have such a big division lead too, because the injuries are starting to pile up. Lance McCullers Jr. became the latest Houston starter to be placed on the disabled list on Monday:
Astros place Lance McCullers on the 10 day DL retroactive to the 9th due to lower back discomfort. Musgrove will be activated in his spot.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 12, 2017
McCullers is in the middle of a breakout season, one in which he's thrown 76 2/3 innings with a 2.58 ERA (150 ERA+) in 13 starts. When healthy, McCullers has never not been excellent for the Astros. He had a 3.22 ERA (121 ERA+) in 36 starts and 206 2/3 innings from 2015-16. Injuries have been an issue though. McCullers has had shoulder and elbow troubles, and now his back is acting up.
This injury means the Astros are now without their top three starting pitchers coming into the season. They're all on the disabled list. Here's the list:
- Dallas Keuchel: Out with neck discomfort. Could return later this month.
- Lance McCullers Jr.: Placed on the disabled list Monday with a back discomfort.
- Charlie Morton: Out with a lat strain. He recently started playing catch.
Keuchel, McCullers, and Morton started the first three games of the season for the Astros, in that order. Their No. 4 starter, Joe Musgrove, missed the last two weeks with a shoulder issue. He is coming off the disabled list Monday to replace McCullers.
Over the last few weeks the Astros have gotten by with David Paulino and Brad Peacock making spot starts -- the two have combined for a 5.68 ERA in seven starts and 31 2/3 innings -- though obviously they'd like to be back at full strength. They're a much better team with Keuchel, McCullers, and Morton doing their thing.
The good news is the Astros do have that huge division lead, which allows them to be cautious with their top starters as they work their way back from their injuries. There's no real urgency at the moment. It's better to have them miss a few games now than rush them back and risk them missing more games later.
