Astros' Lance McCullers: Targeting late-summer return

McCullers (forearm) said Saturday that he expects to return toward the end of the summer, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

McCullers missed all of 2023 while dealing with a right forearm injury and opted to undergo surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in June. McCullers resumed throwing on flat ground from 80 feet out during the offseason and has yet to run into any issues. The 30-year-old righty still has a long way to go in his rehab process, but he could provide a significant boost to Houston's rotation or give the team another multi-inning relief option late in the season.