Overview
- Houston placed Brown on the Injured List retroactive to April 2 and recalled right-hander Christian Roa from Triple-A Sugar Land.
- Brown is expected to miss at least two to three starts and will be eligible to return in mid-April, though shoulder injuries often take longer.
- The right-hander opened 2026 with 17 strikeouts in 10.2 innings after a 2025 season that featured a 2.43 ERA and a third-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.
- The Astros, who are 6–3 and leading the AL West, now lean more on Tatsuya Imai, Lance McCullers Jr., Christian Javier, and Mike Burrows to cover innings.
- Some outlets note the front office could explore adding a starter if his recovery timeline stretches, but the team is first turning to internal options.