Overview
- Brown was placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 right-shoulder strain in early April and has been progressing through a staged rehab program of minor-league starts.
- He threw 35 pitches in his first rehab outing, 44 in his second, and 57 in a third outing that reached about 99 mph, putting him on pace for roughly 70–75 pitches in the next start.
- Manager Joe Espada confirmed the club scheduled at least one more rehab start Wednesday at Triple-A Sugar Land and said the activation decision will follow medical input and Brown’s feedback.
- If Brown responds well to the upcoming outing, the Astros could activate him to rejoin the rotation for the series against Detroit on June 15–17, but the team is prioritizing a cautious ramp-up.
- Returning Brown would restore a top-end starter—he was an AL Cy Young finalist last year—but could create bullpen stress if he is initially on a limited pitch count, so roster alignment remains a key concern.