Ace Goes Down Suddenly

Houston Astros ace right-hander Hunter Brown has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. Brown felt discomfort during his routine throwing program on Friday and stopped immediately. He flew to Houston for further evaluation by team physicians, and no return timeline has been set pending additional imaging results.

Manager Joe Espada said, "It didn't feel right and then he stopped throwing. We got imaging done here, and once we got those, we sent him home."

Why This Hurts

Brown had never previously been on the IL in his four-year career. Coming off his best season in 2025 — 12-9, 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 206 strikeouts in 185⅓ innings, and a third-place AL Cy Young finish — he was the undisputed anchor of Houston's rotation. His absence represents a potentially massive blow to the team's 2026 outlook.

Brown made his Opening Day start March 26 against the Angels, throwing 102 pitches in 4⅔ scoreless innings, then followed with six innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox on Tuesday, though he was pulled after 78 pitches as the team managed his workload.

Filling the Void

The Astros recalled right-hander Christian Roa from Triple-A Sugar Land ahead of Sunday's game, but no official starter has been named for Monday's game in Colorado against the Rockies. Manager Espada cited AJ Blubaugh and Ryan Weiss as bullpen candidates for the spot start. Weiss threw three scoreless relief innings on 38 pitches Friday against Oakland.

Spencer Arrighetti of Triple-A would be the top rotation candidate, but he also threw 78 pitches Friday. The team is expected to shift to a six-man rotation later this month, which could accelerate his call-up.