Hunter Brown was supposed to be the anchor of the Astros rotation in 2026, but suffered a Grade 2 shoulder strain and was placed on the IL April 5. His return is now right around the corner and the timing could not be better.
The 27-year-old was drafted by the Astros in the fifth round in 2019 out of Wayne State. In 2025 he was an AL Cy Young Award finalist and All-Star. Here is a look at his 2025 stats, per MLB:
2025 stats: 12-9, 2.43 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 206 strikeouts in 185 innings
He has been one of the best pitchers in the American League over the last two seasons and was named the Opening Day starter for 2026. That is how much the Astros trust him.
He started his rehab assignment May 24 at Double-A Corpus Christi. His first outing was encouraging: 2 scoreless innings, 1 hit, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks on 35 pitches. He had already touched 96 MPH in live batting practice before that start. His second rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land was even better, averaging 97.6 MPH on his fastball with 5 strikeouts on 44 pitches. He needs to build up to 75 pitches before returning, with a target return date of mid-June, per MLB.
What Does His Return Mean for the Astros?
The Astros rotation has been held together by Arrighetti, Teng, Lambert, and Burrows. Brown coming back gives them a true ace at the top of the rotation. Combined with Arrighetti this could be one of the better one-two punches in the AL and takes pressure off everyone else in the rotation. Most importantly, it gives the Astros rotation depth that could be valuable in a playoff push.
The Astros are fighting to climb the AL West standings. With Hader back in the bullpen and Brown returning mid-June the team is about to look completely different. Altuve and Cristian Javier are also nearing returns. June could be the month everything comes together.
Brown's return is the final piece of what has been a long and painful injury recovery for this rotation. If he comes back healthy and pitching like he was before the injury, the Astros are dangerous. The second half of this season is going to be very interesting.
