The Houston Astros are getting their ace back. Right-hander Hunter Brown will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to start Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, the team confirmed this week, and the impact on the AL West race could be enormous.
Brown had been out since early April with a shoulder issue that initially raised the kind of vague long-term concerns that send fan bases into spiraling worst-case scenarios. The Astros stayed quiet. They let the medical staff work the plan. And after a series of rehab starts, including a six-inning, eight-strikeout outing in Triple-A last week, he is ready to go.
The timing matters. Houston has been treading water in the West, hanging close to first place behind the strength of their lineup and a patched-together rotation that includes everything from veteran innings-eaters to bullpen openers. They have needed Brown back since the moment he hit the IL. They finally have him.
For those who have not watched closely, Brown is the version of a Houston-developed starter that the franchise has been producing for the better part of a decade. He sits 95 to 97 with the fastball. He has a sharp two-seamer that runs on right-handed hitters. His changeup has bottom-of-the-zone bite, and he commands the strike zone better than most starters his age. He posted a 3.12 ERA across 30 starts last year. He should be in line for another All-Star nod when he gets healthy.
The matchup against Detroit is the kind of test you want for a returning starter. The Tigers are second in the American League in runs scored. They have hitters who work counts. Brown is going to need to pound the zone the way he did in his Triple-A tune-up, and the Astros are going to need him to log five quality innings to give the bullpen a break.
Manager Joe Espada has not committed to a strict pitch count, but the realistic number is around 85 to 90 pitches. Espada has been careful with returning starters this season, and Brown’s shoulder history means there is no incentive to push him on day one.
The bigger picture for Houston is what Brown means for the second half. A rotation of Brown, Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and Lance McCullers Jr. when he is also fully back is suddenly the kind of staff that wins playoff games. The Astros have not had four reliable starters all season. Now they are about to.
The trade deadline calculus changes too. Houston had been linked to multiple pitching trade candidates because the front office was uncertain about the timeline on their own arms. With Brown back, the front office can pivot toward bullpen help, which is the actual weakness on the roster, instead of starting pitching.
The AL West has been a knife fight all year. The Rangers are right there. The Mariners are hanging around. Houston getting their ace back at the right time is the kind of move that turns close races into clear ones. Tuesday night is the first chapter. The rest of the league should be paying attention.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
