Astros Boss Reveals Reason for Concerning Rotation Uncertainty

Houston Astros GM Dana Brown explained why their rotation is TBD for this week's Seattle Mariners series.

Aug 31, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown (right) talks before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

For the second year in a row, the Houston Astros are off to a slow start. Their offense has been ice-cold, producing a losing record through their first nine games.

After visiting the Minnesota Twins, the reigning AL West champions will look to bounce back on their current road trip, which continues with a key divisional series against the Seattle Mariners. The three-game set is the Astros' first time facing an AL West opponent this season.

However, Houston has some uncertainty heading into the series around its starting rotation. While Hayden Wesneski is slated to start Monday's series opener, the team has yet it announce its starting pitchers for Tuesday and Wednesday's games.

Tuesday would be Framber Valdez's usual turn in the rotation, while Hunter Brown's turn is Wednesday. However, neither pitcher has been confirmed yet.

Before Sunday's series finale against the Twins, Astros general manager Dana Brown revealed why the starting pitcher assignments are still up in the air for those two games.

Astros GM Dana Brown told @raford3 on the pregame radio show that Framber Valdez "has a little bit of a sore throat, a little fatigue."

"Hopefully he’s going to be all right, but he’s scheduled to be on track. I feel good about that," Brown said. https://t.co/7Nt1OHhWVZ

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) April 6, 2025

According to The Athletic's Chandler Rome, Brown told team radio broadcaster Robert Ford that Valdez "has a little bit of a sore throat, a little fatigue."

Brown didn't sound too concerned about the All-Star's illness, however, adding that Valdez is "scheduled to be on track" for Tuesday's game.

The GM's optimistic comments clarified an earlier report from Rome, where manager Joe Espada revealed that several Houston players are "under the weather."

This is a situation for Astros fans to monitor over the next few days. Valdez is the team's ace and has pitched well so far, going 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings over his first two starts of the season.

Brown is also off to a good start, building on his breakout 2024 campaign by going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, a 2.27 FIP and 15 strikeouts in 12 innings over his first two outings.

Hopefully Valdez recovers in time and is able to pitch on Tuesday. If not, he may be pushed back to Wednesday or this weekend's home series against the Los Angeles Angels.

It's unclear who will start in Valdez's place if he's unavailable on Tuesday. Espada may opt to go with a bullpen game, or the team may need to call up someone from Triple-A to make a spot start. Brown could also be asked to pitch on short rest.