Astros Set Hunter Brown's Next Injury Rehab Start Window

The Houston Astros are ramping up Hunter Brown for a return to the Majors. But they’re doing it slowly.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

It’s one step at a time for Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown. That next step is coming soon.

After he made his first injury rehab start on Sunday at Double-A Corpus Christi — with three other injured Astros players in tow — he’ll make his next one for Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend, per manager Joe Espada as reported by MLB.com.

This isn’t a promotion of sorts. The Astros, like most teams, try to keep their injured players close. Starting in Corpus Christi on Sunday was easiest because Sugar Land was on the road. This week Corpus Christi is on the road, and Sugar Land is at home.

That lines up with the Astros returning home on Friday to host the Milwaukee Brewers at Daikin Park. This is about giving Brown the chance to get his work in as he gears up for an MLB return sometime in June.

Hunter Brown’s Next Rehab Step

Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown. | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Espada wasn’t clear on which day Brown would start. Most pitchers on rehab assignments get extra rest between starts. Minor league starters pitch once per week. It’s highly likely Brown will pitch either Saturday or Sunday against the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

On Sunday he pitched two innings, threw 35 pitches and threw 21 strikes. He struck out five of the seven hitters he faced and then exited the game as planned. That’s a typical pitch count as a first rehab start for a starter that hasn’t thrown since the end of March thanks to a Grade 2 shoulder strain.

Astros general manager Dana Brown has said on several occasions that the plan is to get Brown up to 75 pitches before he’s activated from the 60-day injured list. Most starters progress in pitch count during each rehab starts. If that’s the goal, Brown needs to throw three more rehab games and add roughly 15 pitches to each start.

Major League pitchers on an injury rehab assignment have 30 days to prepare to be activated. He is currently on the 60-day injured list and does not count against the 40-man roster. The Astros will need to make a 40-man roster move when he’s activated.

Brown had a terrific season a year ago for Houston as he was named an American League Cy Young finalist and finished 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA. He struck out 206 and walked 57 in 185 innings and it marked his third straight season with at least 11 wins.

He was named the opening day starter for Houston and made two turns in the rotation before the injury. He was 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA.