Lance McCullers moves closer to rejoining Astros

Lance McCullers took another step in rejoining the Astros, as the 22-year-old right hander pitched 4 2/3 innings in an extended spring game Monday.

He threw 62 pitches in Florida in his start and his velocity was high, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said, adding McCullers was at 92-97 m.p.h.

“I was thrilled to get that information that today went so well for him,” Hinch said.

McCullers will throw his midweek bullpen session in Florida and - barring any sort of setback - will join Class AAA Fresno for a rehab start Saturday in El Paso.

“It was the best day - to date - for Lance,” Hinch said. “It’s almost symbolic of an end-of-spring-training start, to where now he can go out to an affiliate.”

McCullers, who went made 22 starts last year after being called up in May, started 2016 on the disabled listed due to a mid-March bout of shoulder soreness. That set back the former first-round pick, who made a rehab start April 11 in Class AA Corpus Christi but was scratched from a second because of what Hinch described as “lingering recovery issues.”

McCullers pitched three innings Wednesday and threw a bullpen session Friday, feeling good after both to set him up for Monday’s outing. If he feels good Tuesday, the team will feel confident in officially announcing the rehab start.

Hinch didn’t put a number for how many starts McCullers would take before rejoining the Astros. Going into Monday’s game, Houston’s starting rotation had the second-worst ERA in the American League, trailing the Yankees.

“One at a time and we’ll see what happens there,” Hinch said. “He’s built up to the point now to where if he gets into the 70- or 80-(pitch) range, he could make himself available. I think the quality and quantity is going to be a question, so we’ll start with one and see where it goes.”