The Houston Astros made a surprising run to the American League West title last season, winning the division after not making the playoffs for a number of years. If the Astros can get some solid pitching again from that staff, the team will be in good position to win the division again.
The Astros rotation is one of the major strengths of the team, and this year they will be depending on that again. The team has Dallas Keuchel, Colin McHugh and Doug Fister as the main options along with Lance McCullers, Mike Fiers and Scott Feldman. The performance of the starting staff was one of the main reasons why Houston was able to make the playoffs in 2015.
The Astros will have to start things off with a man down in the rotation though. Today, manager A.J. Hinch announced that McCullers will open the season on the disabled list because of shoulder soreness
McCullers said he started dealing with soreness in his right shoulder after throwing a bullpen session with the team. The pitcher underwent an MRI for the issue, and while the tests came back "clean" without any significant injuries, the Astros are being cautious. McCullers started 22 games last season as a rookie for the Astros, throwing 125 innings at the major league level.
"We're kind of taking it day by day," McCullers said. "I'm feeling a lot better. It's just up to the training staff and the team. They have my best interests in mind. We have the long-term goals in mind. I'm taking it day by day and going off what they say. It's just getting all the soreness out."
McCullers has not thrown since March 6 after feeling soreness following a throwing session. The 22-year-old likely will not miss much time as long as he does not have any setbacks. He went 6-7 with a 3.22 ERA for the Astros last season, averaging over a strikeout per inning. McCullers made a significant jump from his total innings in 2014.
Last season McCullers threw 164 innings total between the minors, regular season and postseason after pitching in 97 the previous season. Losing McCullers for any amount of time is tough for Houston, but the team should be able to overcome his absence if it's a short-term issue. Hinch said "there's just not enough time to build him up to the role we anticipate him doing," and added that McCullers will not miss a "significant amount of time."
Once McCullers is ready to return, Hinch will have to make a decision about the rotation. Fiers or Feldman could get pushed to the bullpen if they don't start the season pitching well. Keuchel will open the season for Houston against the Yankees April 5.
