Hunter Brown returns Tuesday against the Tigers after missing about 12 starts with a shoulder sprain, arriving just as Houston’s starters have posted a 7.12 ERA in June. The Astros hope the ace-back boost helps stabilize a rotation that’s been uneven, even as
When Hunter Brown steps on the mound Tuesday against the Tigers, it won’t just mark a comeback—it will land inside a rotation that’s already getting hit in June.
Houston’s starters have an unsightly 7.12 ERA in June after posting a 3.93 ERA in May. In the mix are struggles that have been hard to ignore: Mike Burrows continues to struggle, Tatsuya Imai couldn’t escape the first inning in his last start, and Kai-Wei Teng’s shine may have worn off as a starter.
Teng. making his eighth start of the season in Monday’s 9-3 loss to the Tigers at Daikin Park. struck out nine batters in 3 1/3 innings. He also walked two batters, hit two batters, and allowed six hits and five earned runs, including three homers. Even with the strikeouts and an effective sweeper, the damage was too heavy.
The Astros are trying to steady that kind of volatility with a familiar fix: Brown.
Brown will pitch Tuesday for the first time since March 31. just before he came down with a shoulder sprain that cost him about 12 starts. Last year. he emerged as an elite. frontline starter. and he has assumed the role of ace for the Astros following the departure of Framber Valdez in free agency. The return won’t turn the season around by itself. but it will provide a shot in the arm to a rotation that sorely needs one.
Houston is getting the contrast immediately. Valdez will start opposite Brown on Tuesday in his first game at Daikin Park in a visiting uniform.
“It’s exciting,” Brown said. “I’m sure he’s excited to pitch in this park again. He did a lot of really great things for this team. I wish him well — not too well, of course. Maybe we can tag up more than I give up for us. That would be the most ideal.”
For Houston. Valdez’s return is part of a broader pattern: the Astros have seen former players come back in different uniforms from the “golden area” years. when Houston made the postseason eight seasons in a row from 2017-23 and won four pennants and two World Series titles. Valdez is the latest in that string. joining the list of players such as George Springer. Justin Verlander. Alex Bregman. Kyle Tucker. Ryan Pressly and others before him. Valdez received a tribute video Monday.
The Astros are also looking ahead to how to fit Brown into a tight stretch of games. They’re expected to move to a six-man rotation during a run of 13 consecutive games without an off day later in the month. Thursday’s off-day and Brown’s return. though. would have everyone pitching on a full week of rest for the next turn through the rotation. That’s not the ideal schedule outcome for the manager’s relief.
Joe Espada still has decisions to make right now.
One option is to skip either Imai or Burrows. Houston is 4-10 in games started by Burrows this year, and he has a 7.80 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in his last three starts. Imai, meanwhile, retired only two batters in his previous start Friday in Kansas City and has a 6.43 ERA in nine starts this season.
Another possibility is to move Teng back to the bullpen, where he began the season. Teng had a 1.80 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 13 relief appearances (20 innings) this year. As a starter. his numbers are worse: a 5.77 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in eight games (34 1/3 innings). including a 10.22 ERA and 2.19 WHIP in his last three starts.
Teng pushed back on the idea that he wants to step away from starting.
“I really feel comfortable being a starter,” Teng said. “It’s the big leagues, so if you want a spot in the rotation you have to earn it. I will still do my work and flush this one and hopefully I can be in this spot.”
After Monday’s outing, there were clear performance signals that Espada noticed. Teng’s average fastball velocity was 92.5 mph—down 1.4 mph from his season average entering the game. His sinker and changeup were down more than 1 mph as well, and that caught attention.
“We’re going to reassess tomorrow and see if there’s some fatigue in there,” Espada said. “That could be a reason why the stuff is down and he’s falling behind and probably some mechanical things and trying to find his rhythm during the game. That might be a reason, and we’ll talk to him tomorrow.”
There’s also the case of who the Astros can count on when they need innings. Spencer Arrighetti hasn’t pitched as well in his last three starts as he did in his first seven. but he has still been their best starter over that stretch of roles. going 7-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 11 starts. Peter Lambert has held his own with a 3.47 ERA in 10 starts.
Even as Brown’s return brings stability to the top of the rotation. the June numbers show how quickly everything else can slip. One outing can carry momentum—like Brown’s expected ace role returning Tuesday—and the very next one can strain the staff again. as Monday’s swing from strikeouts to homers made painfully clear.
Now it’s on Espada to reshuffle the pieces around Brown, without losing the rhythm Houston needs before the schedule turns into a longer grind later in the month.
Houston Astros Hunter Brown Detroit Tigers Daikin Park rotation Joe Espada Kai-Wei Teng Mike Burrows Tatsuya Imai Spencer Arrighetti Peter Lambert Framber Valdez