Lance McCullers Jr. Hires Security for Family After Receiving Death Threats

Published: May 30, 2025

Houston Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. has hired 24-hour security for his family after receiving death threats following a poor pitching performance earlier this month.

McCullers, 31, revealed that his 5-year-old daughter, Ava, asked him about the threats, saying, "Daddy, like, what is threats? Who wants to hurt us? Who wants to hurt me?" The athlete told the Associated Press that he had to have "tough" conversations with his family.

Death Threats and Online Vitriol

Earlier this month, McCullers shared that he had received messages on social media directed at him and his family, some specifically targeting his and wife Kara Kilfoile's two young daughters. He has since notified authorities, including Major League Baseball security and the Houston Police Department, which is currently investigating the incident.

The incident comes just weeks before another MLB pitcher, Liam Hendriks, spoke out after disclosing that he had received death threats. Hendriks, 36, was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in January 2023 and underwent both immunotherapy and chemotherapy before he returned to playing baseball.

Many players believe that the increase of sports betting is responsible for the acrimony. "You get a lot of DMs or stuff like that about you ruining someone's bet or something ridiculous like that," veteran Red Sox reliever Justin Wilson said. "I guess they should make better bets."

Death Threats and Online Vitriol

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