MILWAUKEE -- After finishing his assignment in the Arizona Fall League, right-hander Adrian Houser is back to legitimate prospect status for the Brewers.
Houser completed his AFL stint -- and his first season back from Tommy John surgery -- by allowing one hit and one walk in 3 1/3 scoreless innings for the Salt River Rafters on Tuesday. It was his fourth fall start, and Houser finished having allowed four earned runs on 13 hits in 10 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and two walks. He topped 96 mph, according to Statcast™.
Including his 17 2/3 regular-season innings at Rookie-level Arizona and Class A Wisconsin, Houser struck out 27 and walked four in 2017.
"He threw very well and is in a good spot heading into 2018," said Brewers farm director Tom Flanagan, confirming Houser finished his stint in the Fall League fully healthy.
The Brewers removed him from the Rafters' roster on Wednesday.
Houser is among the four players acquired by the Brewers from the Astros in the July 2015 trade that sent outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitcher Mike Fiers to Houston. All four of the prospects in the deal have reached the Majors: Houser and outfielder Domingo Santana later in '15, and pitcher Josh Hader and outfielder Brett Phillips in '17.
Santana is the Brewers' starting right fielder, and Hader and Phillips are poised to play prominent roles in the Majors in 2018. Houser is likely to return to the Minor Leagues to continue building his innings count, but with 28 1/3 healthy frames in the books, he appears back on track from the July 21, 2016, Tommy John surgery that interrupted his development. He was working as a starting pitcher for Double-A Biloxi when he was hurt.
"To his credit, he is in excellent shape, physically, and he really did a tremendous job while rehabbing," Flanagan said earlier in Houser's Fall League tenure. "He got himself into great shape, and it's helping him on the mound."
Houser will enter 2018 with one Minor League option remaining.