Lance McCullers undergoes surgery from Tommy John and leaves his hole in rotation

Lance McCullers Jr., coach of Astros, will miss the 2019 season after being operated by Tommy John in the right elbow on Tuesday, the team said.

While McCullers Jr. is expected to recover fully, his absence next season leaves another hole in Houston's already thin starting rotation. Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchal are free agents this winter, leaving only Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole in a rotation that had the lowest of the (3,16) effective in 2018.

The Houston Depths Table mentions Collin McHugh and Josh James as starters, but McHugh only worked as a reliever last season. James made his league debut in September. He posted a 2.35 silver with 29 strikeouts in 23.0 and earned a spot in the playoff roster.

McCullers Jr. was found on the disabled list on August 5 with a sprained right forearm. In 22 starts during the regular season, the right-hander recorded a 3.93 ERA with 138 strikeouts in 126 innings.

After a slow rehab, the Astros reactivated the 25-year-old on September 24 to use as a reliever for the rest of the season. McCullers Jr. has thrown five rounds of relief with a 1.80 ERA in the playoffs.

Fortunately for the Astros, the McCullers Jr. operation comes early enough in the off season so the team has enough time to take action and get ready for next year.

Jeff Luhnow, Houston's general manager and president of baseball operations, discussed the club's options at the MLB chief executive meetings on Tuesday.

"I think our goal will be to look at all the alternatives – including trade, free trade, and our own people – as a way to fill the rotation," said Luhnow. Houston Chronicle.