The Milwaukee Brewers have designated Lance McCullers Jr. for assignment, a move that removes the pitcher from the team's 40-man roster just 11 days after acquiring him in a trade with the Houston Astros.
The 32-year-old, a two-time World Series winner and 2017 All-Star, was acquired by the Brewers on July 16. The trade sent pitcher Colton Gordon and cash to Milwaukee, with Single-A prospect Jaydn Fielder heading to Houston.
McCullers pitched a total of four innings over two relief appearances for the Brewers. In his debut on July 20, he allowed two earned runs, struck out four batters, and walked one. He struggled in his second outing on Saturday, giving up three runs in 1.2 innings pitched while walking four.
This decision marks a swift downturn for McCullers, whose career has been impacted by significant injuries in recent seasons. He missed the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons due to injuries in his pitching arm, including bone spurs and flexor tendon surgery.
McCullers is in the final year of an $85 million contract, with Houston covering a substantial portion of his salary this year, including $4.23 million sent to Milwaukee as part of the trade. In 2021, he finished seventh in American League Cy Young Award voting, but subsequent injuries have hampered his performance.
Lance McCullers Jr. previously played his entire MLB career with the Astros over three separate stints spanning 11 years. He last spoke publicly about facing abuse and death threats directed at him and his family during difficult pitching performances, an issue that prompted the Astros organization to offer him security in May 2025.