Astros: Lance McCullers Jr is to start Sunday for the Astros against the White Sox in his first major league appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series against the Phillies 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’s 49-32 with a 3.48 ERA in seven seasons, all with the Astros. McCullers first injured his flexor tendon while pitching on short rest during the 2021 AL Division Series. He missed the first four months of the 2022 season. “Been waiting for it for a long time,” McCullers said. “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.

Phillies: The only outfield in major league history where all three players batted .400 in the same season will be honored in the same way as the Phillies players whose numbers have been retired. Baseball Hall of Famers Ed Delahanty, Billy Hamilton and Sam Thompson were the Phillies’ regular outfielders from 1891-95. Delahanty batted .405, Hamilton .403 and Thompson .415 in 1894. The three played before the introduction of uniform numbers. They will have their respective uniform insignias from their era added to the retired numbers displayed on the brick wall above Ashburn Alley at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Marlins: Rookie OF Griffin Conine 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 in an 11-10 loss to the Phillies last Saturday. The 27-year left the game and was placed on the 60-day IL the following day. An MRI Monday confirmed 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 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, one HR, seven doubles and seven RBIs. He made his big league debut last August and hit .268 with a .777 OPS, three HRs and 12 RBIs in 30 games. “Yeah, Griffin was playing so well, and a key cog for us, an important piece,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Wednesday. “Surgery was successful, and everything should be on track for Griffin to get through his rehab and be a full-go come spring training.” Conine’s father, Jeff, played on the Marlins’ World Series champions in 1997 and 2003 and is known as Mr. Marlin. Javier Sanoja, Kyle Stowers, Eric Wagaman and Ronny Simon have started in left field in Conine’s absence.