HOUSTON – Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Tuesday, according to the team.
McCullers, 25, will miss the 2019 season, but Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said the team expects McCullers to make a full recovery.
According to the team, McCullers was 10-6 in 2018 with a 3.86 ERA in 25 appearances (22 starts) while tallying 142 strikeouts in 128 innings of work. He posted a 10-4 record in his first 19 starts prior to the All-Star break before being slowed by discomfort in his right elbow, causing him to miss 43 games while on the disabled list from Aug. 5 to Sept. 24. McCullers returned from the disabled list to make three scoreless relief appearances during the final week of the regular season. He went on to post a 1.80 ERA (1ER/5.0IP) in five postseason appearances, all in relief.
For his career, McCullers is 29-22 in 83 appearances (80 starts) with a 3.67 ERA (185 ER/453.2 IP) and 509 strikeouts in 453.2 innings pitched.