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At a critical stage of the season, you need your players to be healthy. Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. has been ruled out of game three against the New York Yankees due to a freak injury. According to Fox 26 Sports Director Mark Berman, the former All-Star was hit in the elbow by a champagne bottle.
The incident occurred during the Houston Astros' celebration of their series victory over the Seattle Mariners. The injury comes at a terrible time for the organization. The Astros face the Yankees and Gerrit Cole in game three on Saturday. The Yankees will be relieved to avoid one of Houston's best pitchers.
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Lance McCullers Jr. will be moved back a day and is now scheduled to face the Yankees in game four.
Houston fans were left confused and frustrated by another inexplicable injury. Just when things seemed to be going well for the Astros, they were hit with another setback.
Per Sports Illustrated, McCullers spoke about the incident before game three to shed some light on the subject:
"It was really no one’s fault. It was just an accident. So, it’s not a huge deal," said McCullers.
To make matters worse, the bottle hit McCullers in his throwing arm, which has led to swelling and discomfort.
Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. has a history of nasty injuries
Lance McCullers Jr. has suffered a series of injuries over the previous five seasons. Most notably, he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2018 and therefore missed the entire 2019 season. He has fought through injuries throughout his MLB career and will be frustrated with this latest setback.
The Houston Astros have had a lot to celebrate recently. Locking up the best regular-season record in the American League, sweeping the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS and also taking a commanding 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees. The job is still not finished though. They will need two more wins to secure their fourth World Series appearance since 2017.
Fortunately for the Astros, the injury to McCullers does not seem too serious. Christian Javier is expected to start game three. Javier has a 11-9 record with an impressive 2.54 ERA on the season. He averaged over one strikeout per innings pitched and finished the season with an enviable .95 WHIP.
The Houston Astros will hope their momentum can carry them to a victory against the Yankees in the third game. They are yet to lose a postseason game and have a 5-0 record. Game three is set to take place at Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
