McCullers out as Astros set ALCS roster - MLB.com

HOUSTON -- Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. won’t pitch in the American League Championship Series after being left off the 26-man roster released by the club on Friday. McCullers was removed from his start in Game 4 of the AL Division Series with tightness in his right elbow.

In addition to McCullers, catcher Garrett Stubbs, who didn’t play in the ALDS, was moved to the taxi squad. The Astros adding right-hander pitcher Jake Odorizzi and left-handed pitcher Blake Taylor to the roster instead. Houston is carrying 13 pitchers for the best-of-seven series against the Red Sox.

There is no word on the extent of the McCullers’ injury or his availability for the World Series if the Astros advance.

McCullers, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract extension in the spring that’s set to begin next year, had the best season of his career, going 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA that was second in the AL. The Astros won both games in the AL Division Series started by McCullers, who held the White Sox to one run on nine hits in 10 2/3 innings.

McCullers, who wasn’t available to the media during Thursday’s workout at Minute Maid Park, underwent an MRI late Wednesday or early Friday, according to Astros general manager James Click. He said the initial diagnosis is forearm tightness, and that the team was awaiting further test results.

“Obviously anytime you have a pitcher coming out with a forearm anything, you want to take your precautions and just make sure you know exactly what’s going on,” Click said Thursday.

McCullers pitched in relief through a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during the 2018 ALCS against the Red Sox and eventually had Tommy John surgery. He missed the entire '19 season.

Left-hander Framber Valdez will start Game 1 of the ALCS on Friday, with Rookie of the Year candidate Luis Garcia getting the ball in Game 2 on Saturday. Right-hander José Urquidy, who would have started Game 3 of the ALDS on Monday had it not been pushed back a day because of rain, is Houston’s likely Game 3 starter on Monday in Boston. He would be pitching for the first time in 15 days.

The Game 4 starter could be Odorizzi, who wasn’t on the ALDS roster. Zack Greinke and Cristian Javier, starters who were in the bullpen in the ALDS, would be in the mix. The Astros could also use a combination of two of them.

Greinke threw one inning in Game 3 of the ALDS and hasn’t started since Sept. 19 (68 pitches). Javier appeared in 27 games in relief after starting the season in the rotation and threw 56 pitches -- his most in four months -- in 2 2/3 innings in relief in Game 3 of the ALDS. Odorizzi went 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA in his final seven starts to end the season before being left off the ALDS roster. He hasn’t pitched since Oct. 2.

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