Astros P Lance McCullers Jr.'s ALCS start pushed back after injuring elbow during champagne celebration
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The Houston Astros are starting Lance McCullers Jr. in Game 4 of the ALCS instead of the expected Game 3, and the reason why is an extreme example of first-world problems in baseball.
McCullers hurt his elbow on a champagne bottle.
Specifically, he told reporters on Friday that he hurt his elbow while celebrating the Astros' three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS, and the resultant swelling caused him to need some extra days off after his Game 3 start on Oct. 15.
The good news for the Astros is McCullers reportedly threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Friday with no issue, and the functional difference between a Game 3 and Game 4 starter is small — both pitchers will get to take the mound and won't be in line to pitch in a Game 6 or Game 7 (though McCullers quite famously once pitched in a Game 7 after starting a Game 3).
"Actually, after the victory in Seattle, I caught a spare champagne bottle to the elbow bone. I'm OK, it's just a little bit of swelling, not a huge deal. Threw a bullpen today, it was 35 pitches, it was a great bullpen. Earlier in the week, we thought it would be beneficial to give me some days off with everything settled down, give me an extra day to go with Game 4.
"It was really no one's fault, it was just an accident. It's not a huge deal. Game 3 and Game 4 starters can't come back in the [championship series] on normal rest — you can come in on short rest but without the off days — so not a huge deal, just a decision that was made."
With McCullers pushed back a day, the Astros will instead start Christian Javier, who posted a career year during the regular season, with a 2.54 ERA in 148.2 innings, but has so far seen only 1.1 innings of relief work in the postseason.
Whoever the pitcher is, the Astros currently enjoy a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees with a trip to their fourth World Series in six years on the line.
Game 3 of the ALCS is scheduled for 5:07 p.m. EDT on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
