Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr is slated to start Sunday for the Houston Astros against the Chicago White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series in Philadelphia.

“I’m really excited to have him on the mound on Sunday,” Astros manager Joe Espada said Wednesday. “He’s worked his tail off to get back to this point, and this whole entire team and this city should be excited to get Lance back.”

An All-Star in 2018, McCullers had surgery on June 13, 2023 to repair his right flexor tendon and to remove a bone spur. The 31-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session last June but had a setback and was shut down for the year. He has made four minor league rehab starts this year, allowing four runs and 10 hits over 12 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts and six walks.

In his last appearance, he struck out seven in five shutout innings for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.

“My last two outings I’ve felt really good, my stuff has been pretty crisp,” McCullers said.

He is 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons, all with Houston. McCullers first injured his flexor tendon while pitching during the 2021 AL Division Series. He missed the first four months of the 2022 season.

“Been waiting for it for a long time,” said McCullers, whose father Lance McCullers pitched seven seasons in the big leagues. “Almost feel like I’m making my debut in some aspects, but it’s been a really long road for me.”

McCullers has missed three full seasons since making his major league debut in 2015.

“It would’ve been a pretty sad ending to my story,” McCullers said.

FAN FALLS FROM STANDS at pirates-CUBS game

A man fell from the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park in Pittsburgh during Wednesday night’s game between the Pirates and Chicago Cubs.

Right after Andrew Mc- Cutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put the Pirates ahead 4-3, players began waving frantically for medical personnel and pointing to the man, who had fallen onto the warning track.

The fan was tended to for about five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC Park personnel before being removed from the field on a cart.

The team issued a statement shortly after the game ended saying the man was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further details were given.

Pittsburgh Public Safety, which includes Pittsburgh Police and EMS, posted on X late Wednesday night that the man was in critical condition and that police were investigating.

Players from both teams could be seen praying and McCutchen held a cross that hung from his neck while the fan was taken off the field.

“Truly hate what hap- pened tonight,” McCutchen posted on X late Wednesday. “Cant help but think about that guy, his family and friends. I pray for him.”

conine out for season

Miami Marlins rookie outfielder Griffin Canning will miss the rest of the season following surgery on his left shoulder.

Conine jammed his shoulder into the ground on a head-first slide into second base in an 11-10 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies last Saturday. The 27-year-old left the game and was placed on the 60-day injured list the following day.

An MRI on Monday con- firmed a dislocated shoulder, which was repaired Tuesday in Los Angeles by Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Through 20 games, Conine was batting .281 with a .790 OPS, one home run, seven doubles and seven RBIs. He made his big league debut last August and hit .268 with a .777 OPS, three homers and 12 RBIs in 30 games.

Conine’s father, Jeff, played on the Marlins’ World Series champions in 1997 and 2003 and is known as Mr. Marlin.