McCullers making progress in injury recovery

HOUSTON — With the Astros still firmly in the American League Wild Card race, a pair of their young contributors are working back from injuries, hoping to return during the postseason or sooner.

For the first time since exiting with a right elbow sprain during an Aug. 2 loss to the Blue Jays, pitcher Lance McCullers threw a full bullpen session with intensity off the mound Thursday.

“It doesn’t really mean anything in terms of setting a timeline or a date, or what it means toward the end of the season,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “But to see him get off the mound and look like a pitcher again was definitely the highlight of the day so far.”

McCullers will have another bullpen session in a few days, and his response to that will help determine his availability going forward, but Thursday’s session, which both Hinch and McCullers said was pain-free, is the first big step in a potential return for the young strikeout machine.

“I think, mentally, I kind of got over the hurdle a week or …

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