Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. on Saturday addressed the violent threats he and his family have received after his brutal outing against the Cincinnati Reds.
McCullers had arguably the worst start of his career versus the Reds in front of a home crowd at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. The 31-year-old right-hander gave up seven earned runs on three hits, three walks, and a HBP in the first inning. McCullers was pulled out of the game before even getting his second out.
The former All-Star has been working his way back from injuries that have forced him off the mound for over 900 days. He missed both the 2023 and 2024 seasons after suffering several setbacks in his recovery.
But that did not stop some disgruntled Astros fans from threatening McCullers and his family over his poor performance on the field.
“It’s been a tough evening,” McCullers said while speaking to reporters after the game. “I understand, people are very passionate. People love the Astros and love sports. But threatening to find my kids and murder them? That’s a little bit tough to deal with, just as a father.
“There have been many threats over the years, aimed at me, mostly. … I think bringing kids into the equation, threatening to find them or next time they see us in public, they’re going to stab my kids to death. That’s tough to hear as a dad.”
Lance McCullers Jr. addressing the threats he and his family received. Courtesy SCHN.
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) May 11, 2025
Find this person, lock them up, and throw away the key. pic.twitter.com/tZlSEwhq75
Saturday’s poor outing was McCullers’ second of the season. He gave up three hits and three walks across 3.2 scoreless innings last week in his season debut against the Chicago White Sox.
McCullers entered Saturday with a career ERA of 3.46 with a 1.25 WHIP over eight active seasons with the Astros.
