Astros pitching staff is in serious trouble following latest injury news
The Houston Astros can survive a lot of things – cold bats, bullpen hiccups, even a shaky back-end starter. What they can’t survive is losing the one starter who was pitching like the season’s stabilizer. That’s what happened when the Astros placed Hunter Brown on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain, retroactive to Thursday.
Brown was off to a ridiculous start – 1-0, 0. 84 ERA, 17 strikeouts in 10. 1 innings.
That’s ace-level domination. MORE: Ranking the 15 teams with the best chance to win the NBA Finals Losing More Than Just a Starter Sep 24, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) delivers a pitch against the Athletics in the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images And it’s not just about this year’s two starts.
Brown is coming off a 2025 season where he went 12–9, posted a 2. 43 ERA, struck out 206, made his first All-Star team, and finished third in AL Cy Young voting. And now that guy is out with a shoulder strain—the most annoying injury in baseball because it’s either minor or it’s a season-long nightmare.
The sequence is also ugly. Brown felt discomfort during a Friday throwing session, got an MRI, and had to fly back to Houston for evaluation. It’s his first major league IL stint, and the Astros are talking “cautious optimism,” and rightfully so.