McCullers to make season debut Friday

The Houston Astros' reeling rotation will get some much-needed help this weekend.

Lance McCullers, the precocious 22-year-old right-hander who missed the first six weeks of the season with a shoulder injury, will make his 2016 debut Friday against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters Wednesday, according to Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle.

"I really didn't know when I was going to go - if I was going to go - this weekend in Boston," McCuller said. "I told A.J. whenever he was ready, I was ready, too, so I'm excited."

Collin McHugh, initially pegged for Friday's game, will now start Saturday afternoon following an extra day of rest, while rookie Chris Devenski will get the ball for the series finale. The Astros will keep six starters on their 25-man roster for the next 10-12 days, Hinch added, though they won't necessarily stick to a strict six-man rotation.

"We're going to have everybody available," Hinch said. "We need a little bit more information on a couple different fronts, most notably Lance. For him to take over a rotation spot, I want to be a little bit more convinced that he's able to handle the workload with the recovery and with pitching every five days."

For the Astros - mired in last place in the American League West with a 13-21 record - Friday can't come quickly enough. Through their first 34 games this year, Houston's rotation has been a major disappointment, with every starter except Devenski - who took Scott Feldman's starting job in late April - posting an ERA above 4.50, so far.

McCullers, the 41st pick in the 2012 draft, shined as a rookie last year, crafting a 3.22 ERA (125 ERA+) with a 1.19 WHIP over 22 starts after being promoted from Triple-A Fresno in mid-May.