West Sacramento — The Houston Astros placed ace right-hander Hunter Brown on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 2, with a right shoulder strain, the team announced Sunday ahead of their 12-10 walk-off loss to the A's. The 27-year-old, who finished third in AL Cy Young voting last season, first felt discomfort during a bullpen session Friday, underwent imaging in West Sacramento, then flew to Houston for further evaluation by team doctors. Manager Joe Espada said no timetable for Brown's return is available until further diagnosis.
This marks the first time Brown has landed on the injured list in his major-league career. A 1-0 with a 0.84 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 10⅔ innings in two starts this season, Brown was the Astros' Opening Day starter. While his velocity dipped slightly in his last outing, it did not raise immediate concerns at the time. Espada said Brown stopped throwing when his shoulder 'didn’t feel right.' 'He’s never been injured and this is new for all of us,' Espada added. 'He didn’t sound concerned, which is good, but we’re going to let the doctors evaluate him.'
The Astros (6-3, first in AL West) hold the fourth-best odds for Brown to win the 2026 AL Cy Young at +1200 (Caesars Sportsbook), behind Tarik Skubal (+200), Garrett Crochet (+550) and Max Fried (+850). Brown was scheduled to start Monday, prompting consideration of Triple-A options like Jason Alexander or Spencer Arrighetti. The team recalled right-hander Christian Roa from Triple-A to fill Brown's roster spot. The current rotation features Mike Burrows, Cristian Javier, Tatsuya Imai and Lance McCullers Jr. Shoulder injuries for pitchers always carry some concern.