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Houston police launch investigation into death threats made against Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.

Houston police have launched an investigation into death threats made against Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his family.

The Houston Police Department confirmed its investigation, adding that no one has been brought into custody as of Monday morning, per the Houston Chronicle.

McCullers revealed his family received death threats following his Saturday start against the Cincinnati Reds. McCullers gave up seven earned runs in just a third of an inning. He was pulled from the game after throwing just 36 pitches.

Following the contest, McCullers said someone threatened to find and murder his children. McCullers said he understood there are passionate Astros fans out there, but that specific threat was "a little tough to deal with."

Astros manager Joe Espada said it was "unfortunate" the team had to deal with those threats. He called the situation "very, very sad."

The Astros informed the Houston Police Department and MLB Security of the threats. An MLB spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle on Sunday that the league has been in touch with the team.

McCullers is one of the longest-tenured players on the Astros. After being drafted by the team in first round of the 2012 MLB Draft, McCullers made his Astros debut in 2015. He played a key role on the team's 2017 World Series run, posting a 2.61 ERA over 20 1/3 postseason innings.

While his career got off to a promising start, injuries have kept him away from the game in recent years. He missed the entire 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. McCullers returned to action in 2020. He battled a forearm injury in 2021 and sidelined him for a large portion of the 2022 MLB season.

McCullers dealt with a forearm injury in spring training in 2023, and had surgery to repair his flexor tendon. He attempted to return to the mound in 2024, but was shut down after experiencing a setback.

While McCullers wasn't ready for the start of the 2025 MLB season, it didn't take long for him to return to action. On May 4, McCullers made his first major-league start in two and a half years. He threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox.

Following Saturday's start, McCullers remains a member of the Astros' rotation. If he stays on turn, McCullers' next start will come against the Texas Rangers on Thursday.

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