Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown is scheduled to make his return to the starting rotation on Tuesday when the team faces the Detroit Tigers, ending a roughly two-and-a-half-month absence due to a shoulder strain.
Brown’s last outing came on March 31, when he was pulled after six innings and 78 pitches in a game against the Boston Red Sox. He flagged discomfort during a throwing session on April 3, and two days after that he was placed on the 15-day injured list. He has since been transferred to the 60-day IL.
Before going down with the injury, Brown had been sharp, going 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA across two starts — his first time landing on the injured list as a big leaguer.
Last season, Brown put together one of the best years of his career, finishing third in American League Cy Young Award voting after going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He set a personal best with 206 strikeouts in 185 1/3 innings, matched his career high in wins, and earned a spot on the AL All-Star team.
Astros manager Joe Espada spoke about Brown’s return ahead of Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to the Kansas City Royals. “We’re excited to have him back,” Espada said. “We’re playing good baseball right now. Our rotation needs that boost. Our entire team needs him in our rotation. Just getting him back, he’s one of the best in the game.”
During his time away, Brown made four rehab starts at two different levels in the minor leagues, finishing with a 1.88 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and a 0-1 record over 14 1/3 innings pitched.
Now 27 years old, Brown owns a career record of 37-31 with a 3.44 ERA across 102 appearances — 94 of them starts — since breaking into the majors with Houston in 2022.
Tuesday’s matchup could pit Brown against a familiar face on the opposing mound. Former Astros left-hander Framber Valdez, who spent eight seasons in Houston before departing as a free agent this past offseason, is expected to start for the Tigers.
