After struggling with injuries for the first three months of the season, the Houston Astros are getting back to full health. Most importantly, Houston is set to welcome their ace Hunter Brown back to the mound on Tuesday.
Brown, 27, has been on the IL since April 5 with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain and hasn't pitched since March 31. The team has struggled without Brown in their rotation and currently sits in fourth place in the AL West. He'll start on Tuesday night, at home, against the Detroit Tigers. The return will be a fitting one, given that Brown is a Michigan native and will face his former teammate, Framber Valdez.
Brown's presence in the rotation will provide an immediate boost to a group that has been fairly inconsistent this year. Spencer Arrighetti, an early-season call-up, has been the most reliable arm, posting a 2.21 ERA and a 7-1 record in 10 starts. Kai Wei Teng, Peter Lambert, and Mike Burrows have shown flashes of brilliance, only to follow up with completely mediocre performances.
Japanese free agent signing Tatsuya Imai just hasn't been able to find his footing in MLB. Imai's performance has varied from not lasting through the first inning to throwing a combined no-hitter. His wild inconsistency has resulted in a 6.43 ERA and 1.514 WHIP through his first 35.0 innings.
Brown's injury derailed what has been a true breakout to stardom since 2024. Last season, Brown posted a 2.43 ERA and 1.025 WHIP, and finished in third place in AL Cy Young voting. In two starts this year before his injury, Brown had a flawless 0.82 ERA and 1.031 WHIP, while striking out 17 batters in 10.2 innings of work.
The Astros are also preparing to welcome back Christian Javier and Ronel Blanco in the coming weeks. Both pitchers have been sidelined with long-term injuries, but both are also in the midst of rehab assignments, ramping up for game action. Once Brown and Javier return, the Astros will have to make some decisions in their rotation.
As mentioned, the Astros sit in fourth place in the NL West, but are just four games back of the Seattle Mariners for the division lead. Heading into Sunday's action, the Astros are three games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, currently occupied by AL West division rivals, the Athletics.
