McCullers (forearm) hopes to pitch in Grapefruit League games toward the end of spring training, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
He would then be assigned to Triple-A Sugar Land after that to begin a rehab assignment. McCullers had surgery in June of 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and remove a bone spur, and he had to be shut down last July due to arm soreness. However, his recovery has been going well recently, and he began throwing bullpen sessions in January. McCullers could conceivably be ready to pitch for the Astros around May 1, but any timeline for the oft-injured righty is still guesswork.