Lance McCullers Jr. threw 24 straight curveballs to send the Houston Astros to the 2017 World Series. Nearly nine years, two championships and a long series of arm injuries later, his Houston career has ended with a July trade to Milwaukee.
The Astros sent McCullers, left-hander Colton Gordon and cash to the Brewers for 21-year-old outfielder Jadyn Fielder. Milwaukee receives two possible rotation options. Houston adds a developmental hitter while reducing the financial commitment attached to McCullers’ contract.
The 32-year-old McCullers is currently sidelined with a right rotator cuff impingement. He went 2-3 with a 6.86 ERA across eight starts before a May 19 scratch. This is also the final season of the five-year, $85 million extension he signed with Houston in 2021.
For the Astros front office, the move creates roster and financial room. Among fans in Houston, it marks the bittersweet exit of a pitcher whose best moments became part of the franchise’s October identity.
Houston says goodbye to a postseason fixture
McCullers debuted for Houston in 2015 at age 21 and earned his only All-Star selection in 2017. His regular-season career was productive, but October built his reputation inside the organization.
The signature performance came in Game 7 of the 2017 American League Championship Series. Entering from the bullpen, McCullers covered the final four innings against the Yankees. He allowed one hit, surrendered no runs and finished the game with 24 consecutive curveballs. Houston secured the pennant and later won its first World Series.
McCullers started Game 7 of that World Series and pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings against the Dodgers. During the 2022 title run, he added six shutout innings in Houston’s 18-inning playoff victory over Seattle.
His final Astros record stands at 53-40 with a 3.85 ERA across 154 appearances. Across 813 1/3 regular-season innings, McCullers struck out 904 batters and helped Houston win championships in 2017 and 2022.
Those performances secured his place in franchise history. Yet his body simply would not cooperate with Houston’s closing championship window.
Injuries changed the course of his Astros career
Tommy John surgery erased McCullers’ entire 2019 season. A forearm injury delayed his 2022 debut, while flexor tendon surgery and further setbacks kept him out throughout 2023 and 2024.
The length of his absence told the story. That grueling 915-day gap between major league starts stretched from Game 3 of the 2022 World Series to his return on May 4, 2025. Foot and finger injuries later interrupted the comeback.
A right shoulder problem has now placed McCullers on the injured list for a fifth consecutive season. Repeated setbacks gradually turned an important rotation piece into an expensive uncertainty.
At that point, Houston could no longer plan around another extended return. Trading McCullers allows the club to open a roster spot, reduce some of its remaining financial risk and invest in a younger player.
Astros add fielder to their farm system
Fielder is the son of former Brewers star Prince Fielder and the grandson of Cecil Fielder. Milwaukee signed him as an undrafted free agent on July 24, 2024, after he played at TNXL Academy and appeared in the MLB Draft League.
The left-handed hitter spent the opening portion of the 2026 season with the Class A Wilson Warbirds. During his first full professional season, he batted .233 with three home runs, 23 RBIs and 33 walks across 45 games.
Following the trade, Houston assigned Fielder to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. Still several steps away from the majors, he gives the Astros another young position player to develop.
The return is modest for a pitcher with McCullers’ postseason history. Injuries, declining results and his remaining salary, however, had sharply reduced his market value.
Brewers know the medical risks, but they need arms
Milwaukee reached the All-Star break with one of baseball’s best records, but its rotation entered the second half under pressure. Kyle Harrison landed on the 15-day injured list, while Brandon Woodruff moved to the 60-day injured list following another shoulder setback.
Nobody inside the organization is pretending McCullers represents a safe bet. Instead, the Brewers traded for him out of necessity after watching their starting depth shrink before the deadline.
Gordon gives Milwaukee another immediate option. He allowed 12 earned runs across 9 1/3 major league innings this season but went 6-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 14 appearances for Triple-A Sugar Land.
McCullers provided one encouraging sign during a July 7 rehabilitation appearance. Over 77 pitches, he reached 93.3 mph and averaged 90.6 mph with his four-seam fastball.
That peak reading matters because his fastball once operated comfortably in the low-to-mid 90s. Before his latest series of injuries, McCullers’ sinker averaged 93.9 mph in 2021 and 93.1 mph in 2022. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.2 mph during the 2022 season.
Those signs have created cautious optimism among Brewers fans. One supporter wrote on X that “the Brewers are about to reactivate this guy into a lethal starter.” Such a prediction is ambitious, but it reflects Milwaukee’s reputation for helping pitchers improve. Velocity alone does not prove McCullers can command his pitches, remain healthy or handle a full starter’s workload.
Milwaukee does not need the 2017 version of McCullers. Even five innings and three runs every fifth day would ease the pressure on a rotation currently leaning on replacement pitchers and returning arms.
Houston is closing another chapter from its championship era. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is betting that McCullers and Gordon can provide enough innings to help write an October chapter of its own.
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FAQS
1. Why did the Brewers trade for Lance McCullers Jr.?
Milwaukee needed more rotation depth after injuries affected several starters. The Brewers believe McCullers and Colton Gordon can provide useful innings.
2. What did the Astros receive for Lance McCullers Jr.?
Houston received 21-year-old outfielder Jadyn Fielder. The Astros also created additional roster and financial flexibility.
3. Is Lance McCullers Jr. currently injured?
Yes. McCullers is recovering from a right shoulder problem, but he had begun making minor league rehabilitation appearances before the trade.
4. What did McCullers accomplish with the Astros?
He helped Houston win the 2017 and 2022 World Series. His most famous moment came when he finished the 2017 ALCS with 24 straight curveballs.
5. Who is Jadyn Fielder?
Jadyn Fielder is a young outfielder and the son of former Brewers star Prince Fielder. Houston assigned him to Single-A Fayetteville after the trade.
