McCullers touched 93 mph on the stadium radar gun and threw his entire five-pitch arsenal. A couple of four-seam fastballs early in his outing gave way to a slew of changeups and two-seamers. McCullers is “not too worried” about his curveball or slider, the two spin weapons that catalyze his career 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

"The breaking stuff hasn't missed a beat. He's throwing hard. He's throwing with intent," Astros pitching instructor Josh Miller told The Athletic's Chandler Rome. "He's asked for [a greater workload] in between his mound sessions, and he looks really good.

Pitching in a game for first time since 2022, Lance McCullers Jr. threw 13 pitches in one inning against Washington allowing no runs.