KISSIMMEE — Right-hander Lance McCullers won’t start the season in the Astros’ rotation because of shoulder pain.
Manager A.J. Hinch made it official Wednesday.
McCullers, 22, has been shut down until the discomfort in his throwing shoulder subsides, and he has not pitched in a spring training game. An MRI taken Friday ruled out structural damage.
Hinch said that “there’s just not enough time to build him up to the role we anticipate him doing.”
McCullers, a former Jesuit High standout, went 6-7 in 22 starts as a rookie in 2015, posting a 3.22 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 1252⁄3 innings.