Astros Place Hunter Brown on Injured List in Stunning Blow to Rotation

The Houston Astros will have to do without their top starting pitcher for at least 15 days due to a right shoulder strain.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) high fives trainer Stephanie Grubbs as he walks from the bullpen to the dugout before pitching against the Boston Red Sox at Daikin Park. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Just when the Houston Astros were starting to get comfortable with a healthy starting rotation, their top starter comes up with an injury.

Hunter Brown, who was supposed to pitch next week in Colorado, was placed on the 15-day injured list before Sunday’s game with a right shoulder strain. The Astros recalled right-handed pitcher Christian Roa from Triple-A Sugar Land, per the team.

It’s a significant blow at a time when Houston was about to transition to a six-man rotation, thanks to a schedule that requires them to play 12 games without a day off. That stretch begins on Friday after a three-game series in Colorado that starts on Monday. That comes with a day off on Thursday.

Astros to Miss Hunter Brown

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

Brown has started two games this year and is 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA. He started opening day for Houston and gave up four hits and no runs in 4.2 innings, though he allowed four walks against nine strikeouts. He followed that up with an exceptional six-inning effort against Boston on Tuesday, during which he gave up a hit and an earned run. He struck out eight and walked two.

Lance McCullers Jr. is set to start for the Astros on Sunday in Sacramento. Houston as not announced its probable pitchers for the Rockies series. Tatsuya Imai started Saturday’s game. One of last year’s starters who is at Triple-A Sugar Land, Spencer Arrighetti, threw a couple of days ago in the minors and could help at mid-week.

For now, Houston will have to do without Brown, who was coming off a 2025 in which he finished third in American League Cy Young voting after he went 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA in 31 starts, with 206 strikeouts and 57 walks. He was part of the reason the Astros felt comfortable letting Framber Valdez walk in free agency. He signed with the Detroit Tigers.

The Astros’ injured list now includes the following:

10-Day Injured List: IF/OF Zach Dezenzo (right elbow soreness); 15-Day Injured List: RHP Enyel De Los Santos (right knee strain); RHP Ronel Blanco (torn ulnar collateral ligament in right elbow, Tommy John surgery); RHP Nate Pearson (right elbow surgery recovery); LHP Bennett Sousa (left oblique strain); LHP Josh Hader (left biceps tendinitis); 60-Day Injured List: RHP Hayden Wesneski (torn ulnar collateral ligament in right elbow, Tommy John surgery); LHP Brandon Walter (torn ulnar collateral ligament in left elbow, Tommy John surgery).