The individual who allegedly made death threats against Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and his family has been identified by police.
Houston police revealed Monday that the threats against McCullers were made by an overseas gambler, via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. The suspect said he had lost money betting on an Astros game and was “frustrated and inebriated,” leading him to make the threats.
The individual asked that an apology be relayed to McCullers, and no charges are expected to be filed. The individual’s identity and location were not publicly divulged by police.
On May 10, McCullers allowed seven runs in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds, and was pulled from the game after recording just one out. He said after the game that he had received threats against his children over his performance, and the Astros later hired 24-hour security for him and his family.
McCullers has only recently returned to MLB action after spending the last two-and-a-half years injured. He has begun to round into form since the ugly start against Cincinnati, and has allowed five earned runs in his last 14.1 innings while striking out 22 over that span.
