Mike Burrows heads into a June 2 start against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Daikin Park carrying a simple question: can the Astros’ trade return justify itself on the biggest stage—against the team that let him go?
June 2 doesn’t feel like a typical matchup for Mike Burrows.
For one night, it’s not just the Houston Astros versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. It’s Burrows versus the organization that drafted him in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft and watched him work his way upward before trading him six days before Christmas last year. It’s innings versus memory. And it’s a performance that could redraw how the Astros—and the Pirates—talk about that deal.
Burrows was brought to Houston in a trade that already carried major ripple effects for the 2026 season. Heading to Pittsburgh were 2B Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery. The Rays received OF Jacob Melton and RHP Anderson Brito. The Astros received Mike Burrows.
On paper, Burrows’ addition looked like an afterthought next to the other names. In baseball. though. narratives have a way of changing quickly when a pitcher decides to show up—especially when that pitcher gets a home start on Tuesday night at Daikin Park in Houston against the club that didn’t deem him worthy.
The Pirates’ patience didn’t come from sentiment. Burrows has a clear track record of being useful. even if his current numbers have left doubt hanging in the air. After his minor-league climb. he made his big league debut in 2024. appearing in just one game—a 9-4 Pirates victory over the New York Yankees on Sept. 28. He threw 3 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run with two strikeouts and three walks.
In 2025, the picture looked steadier. Burrows appeared in 23 games, with 19 starts, and logged a 3.94 ERA over 96 innings. That first full season set up the idea that Houston could build something lasting around him.
So far, that assumption has been only partly true.
Burrows has flashes worth trusting, and there have been signs he’s capable of eating innings again. In his season’s latest run of starts, the results have included stretches where he dominated the zone and limited damage:
05-27: 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 K, 1 BB
05-20: 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 2 K, 3 BB
05-14: 5.2 IP, 7 ER, 4 K, 3 BB
05-08: 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB
Even with that, the broader numbers tell a more complicated story. In 11 starts, Burrows has posted a 5.40 ERA and has allowed a league-leading 13 home runs. Walks have also become an issue: he allowed 21 free passes in all of 2025 and has already sent 21 hitters to first base in 2026. His strikeout rate is down significantly. and he’s allowing more base hits than he did when his ceiling looked higher.
The trade doesn’t sit in a vacuum. It was never going to.
Because the Pirates players Houston sent away haven’t just landed in Pittsburgh—they’ve shown up. Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, and Mason Montgomery have all contributed to Pittsburgh’s resurgence. And right now, the Pirates “don’t regret the deal.” That’s the reality Burrows is stepping into.
His job is to reverse it.
Tuesday night at Daikin Park is supposed to be about baseball—matchups, tempo, mechanics. But Burrows has something extra to navigate. The team that decided he wasn’t ready at the moment he was on their radar now gets to see what he becomes when that decision comes back around.
He may not get a perfect storyline in one start. But if he can put together the kind of outing that quiets the walks, cuts down the damage, and limits the home runs, then June 2 won’t just be another date on the schedule.
It will be the night Burrows made Pittsburgh think again.
Mike Burrows Houston Astros Pittsburgh Pirates June 2 Daikin Park revenge game 2026 MLB season trade with Rays trade with Pirates Brandon Lowe Jake Mangum Mason Montgomery