MILWAUKEE (AP) — Newly acquired right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will initially pitch out of the bullpen for the Milwaukee Brewers as the team with second-best record in the majors continues to work through injuries to key members of its staff.
The Brewers reinstated McCullers from the 15-day injured list on Friday and placed him on the active roster while optioning struggling reliever Jared Koenig to Triple-A Nashville. Milwaukee acquired McCullers, along with left-hander Colton Gordon, from the Houston Astros on Wednesday for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder.
McCullers explained to reporters before Friday night’s game against the Miami Marlins why he decided to waive a no-trade clause and accept the deal to Milwaukee.
“I’ve always respected the way they play. They’re a hard-nosed group,” McCullers said. “It’s a good opportunity for me to come to a great winning club that has World Series aspirations. I’m excited to be a part of that.”
McCullers Jr. is 53-40 with a 3.85 ERA over 154 games. He was an All-Star in 2017, had Tommy John surgery in November 2018 and missed the 2019 season. Surgery in June 2023 kept him out through the 2024 season. He had been on the IL since mid-May with right shoulder inflammation.
McCullers, 32, the son of former big league reliever Lance McCullers, helped Houston win the World Series in 2017 and 2022. He had spent his entire career with the Astros.
He said he spoke with current Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson and former closer Josh Hader, among others, before agreeing to the trade to Milwaukee.
“One of the first calls I made was to Josh,” McCullers said. “Nothing but amazing things to say about the organization, the city, the fans.”
The Brewers’ 3.48 ERA ranked second in the majors entering Friday, behind only the New York Yankees, but injuries to their starting rotation have left them scrambling.
The staff is led by All-Star Jacob Misiorowski, who was skipped in his scheduled start before the break, didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game and won’t appear in the series against the Marlins. Manager Pat Murphy said it’s likely that Misiorowski, who began throwing again on Thursday, will pitch in the series against the New York Mets that begins Monday.
Two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff is on the 60-day IL after an MRI revealed a new injury to the anterior capsule in his shoulder, which was surgically repaired after the 2023 season.
“The outlook isn’t good,” Murphy said on Friday. “It’s extremely painful to think about considering what Woody has meant to this organization.”
Murphy declined to go into further detail about Woodruff’s condition and said he’d let the veteran right-hander, who has spent his entire nine-year career with the Brewers, address the situation himself later in the series, likely on Sunday. Woodruff recently became a father for third time and his bobblehead day is Saturday.
Another first-half standout, left-hander Kyle Harrison, was placed on the 15-day IL on July 11 with tightness in his throwing forearm. Harrison had an MRI over the break and is awaiting the results but has already begun a throwing program.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras, left, consoles his pitcher Brandon Woodruff, right, before being taken out due to an injury in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff works against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of an baseball game Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
FILE - Lance McCullers Jr. of the Houston Astros throws to live batters before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, June 19, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox, File)
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that Darline Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, has his support to run for a full term to replace her brother in the U.S. Senate.
He wrote on social media that she “has been a WINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”
“RUN, DARLINE, RUN!” Trump added.
The president said he had discussed a potential campaign with Darline Graham at the White House. Four people familiar with the deliberations, none of whom were authorized to speak publicly, had previously said that she privately expressed interest in running.
Trump's endorsement dramatically reshapes the scramble to fill Lindsey Graham's seat after he died last weekend. The president had previously suggested he could back a potential candidacy from Rep. Russell Fry. Several other noteworthy politicians — including Fry, Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette — have been eyeing a run.
The filing period for a special primary runs from July 21 to July 28, and the primary is scheduled for Aug. 11.
Plans for Lindsey Graham’s funeral were also announced Friday. There will be a service in Washington on July 28 and more in South Carolina on July 29.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Darline Graham to serve the remainder of her brother's term, which ends in January.
The first woman to represent the state in the Senate, Darline Graham called it "such an honor,” as dozens of her brother’s staffers and campaign advisers stood behind her, some with eyes glassy from welling tears.
“Lindsey has always been there for me. And now, I will be there for him," she said.
Lindsey Graham died Saturday at age 71. A preliminary report from the medical examiner said he suffered a tear in his aorta.
He never married or had a family of his own, but his sister was often by his side for the political touch points of his career, speaking at events and appearing in some of his campaign ads. After both of their parents died when Darline Graham was only 13, her older brother became her legal guardian and later adopted her, to ensure his military benefits would flow to her.
In forging a relationship with Darline Graham — who is new to politics but was a constant in her brother's political career — Trump could be angling to develop another ally to help steer his agenda through the Senate.
Although they had at times a tumultuous relationship, Lindsey Graham had been one of Trump's top Senate confidants, and the day after his death, the president said he was “like a member of the family.”
In his announcement Monday, McMaster made no reference to Darline Graham as a placeholder or symbolic appointment.
However, a person familiar with McMaster's thinking but unauthorized to speak publicly said the governor, in selecting Darline Graham, had never contemplated that she would run for the seat herself.
Sen. Tim Scott, another South Carolina Republican, said he would not endorse any candidate in the primary because he also serves as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
But, he said, “as Tim Scott, the voter of South Carolina, I might indeed wade into the water at some point.”
“I think the truth of the matter is that Darline has so far been off to a remarkable start,” Scott told reporters, asking about her as a possible special primary contender. “‘Why not her?’ would be my question.”
When he died, Lindsey Graham had millions in his campaign account and was expected to raise much more heading into the general election. But those aren’t funds that Darline Graham could directly access, if she were to run, according to Bradley A. Smith, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.
Under federal rules, Lindsey Graham's campaign would be limited to transferring just $2,000 to a potential Darline Graham candidacy. However, Smith said there is no limit on how much it could transfer to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which could — thanks to a Supreme Court decision last month — “spend an unlimited amount in coordination with Darline’s campaign.”
“It can’t be earmarked for Darline’s campaign, but in those circumstances I’m sure that the party will make sure she’s not short of cash,” said Smith, now serving as a professor at Capital University Law School in Ohio.
Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press reporter Thomas Beaumont contributed from Des Moines, Iowa.
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
Newly-sworn Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., sister of Lindsey Graham, walks past cameras as she leaves the Old Senate Chamber following a cermonial oath of office ceremony allowing her to serve as her late brother's temporary replacement, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
