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Lance McCullers, Jr. missed most of the 2023 Major League Baseball season and all of the 2024 season with an injury to his pitching arm. After 915 days away from the game, McCullers finally returned this past May.
In his second start for the Astros this season, Lance McCullers, Jr. was shelled for seven runs in just one-third of an inning of the team’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. After the game, McCullers said a fan made death threats against him and his kids.
“It’s been a tough evening. I understand people are very passionate and people love the Astros and love sports, but threatening to find my kids and murder them is a little bit tough to deal with,” he said. “There have been many threats over the years aimed at me mostly … But 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, it’s tough to hear as a dad.”
The Houston Astros notified both the Houston Police Department and Major League Baseball about the threats made against McCullers and his family. The team also hired 24-hour security for McCullers and his family after the threats were made.
Now, the Houston Police Department says they have located the man. They also stated that the case is still open and charges are being considered.
A Houston Police Department spokesperson told The Athletic that the man is “a resident overseas.” The man also reportedly told police that he lost money betting on the game and was “frustrated and inebriated when he lashed out on social media.” He also, through the police, offered his apologies to McCullers’ family for his misbehavior.
Also last month in a very similar case, Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendricks, who missed almost all of the 2023 season due to cancer and elbow inflammation, then lost the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, also received death threats after a bad outing.