Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. revealed that he received disturbing death threats aimed at his children following a difficult outing on Saturday night against the Cincinnati Reds.
Making only his second appearance since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series, McCullers struggled on the mound, giving up seven runs while recording just one out in the team’s 13-9 loss. After the game, he disclosed that he had been targeted with threats on social media.
“I understand that fans are passionate and care deeply about the Astros and sports in general,” McCullers said. “But when people start threatening to find and murder my kids, that crosses a line that’s very difficult to handle as a parent.”
McCullers, who has faced numerous injuries over the past few seasons, noted that such threats have unfortunately become a recurring issue during his career. However, he emphasized that this instance felt different due to the direct targeting of his family.
“There have been many threats made toward me over the years — some of which resulted in actual legal action. But involving my children, saying they’ll stab them to death if they see us in public — that’s hard to process as a dad.”
The Astros confirmed that both Major League Baseball security and the Houston Police Department had been notified and are investigating the threats.
McCullers and his wife, Kara, have two young daughters.
Astros manager Joe Espada, visibly emotional, addressed the situation during his postgame press conference, describing the threats as deeply troubling.
“There are people threatening his life and his kids’ lives because of his performance on the field,” Espada said. “It’s incredibly disheartening. After everything Lance has done for this team and this city, it’s awful that this is something we’re forced to talk about. As a father myself, this really hits home.”
McCullers acknowledged the added emotional burden of facing such threats while working to return to peak performance after a long absence.
“When you fail, especially on this kind of stage, there’s no place to hide,” he said. “All I want is to be a good pitcher for the Astros. I believe I’ll get there. But dealing with the fear of leaving town, dropping my daughter off at school — there should be a basic level of decency people uphold.”
