WEST SACRAMENTO -- The Astros placed ace right-hander Hunter Brown on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right shoulder strain. Right-hander Christian Roa was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Brown threw six innings against the Red Sox on Tuesday in Houston, allowing one run, one hit and striking out eight batters. It was his first start since throwing 4 2/3 innings against the Angels on Opening Day.
This is the first time Brown has been on the injured list in his career.
The Astros have yet to announce their starting rotation for their series against the Rockies in Denver, which begins Monday, but Brown would have been scheduled to throw in one of those games. Houston has experienced starting pitching options at Triple-A, including right-hander Spencer Arrighetti. He threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out nine batters Friday in Jacksonville.
The Astros are expected to move to a six-man rotation later this week prior to a stretch of 13 consecutive games without a day off.
Brown, 27, parlayed the best season of his four-year career into a third-place finish in American League Cy Young Award voting last year. He assumed the role of Houston’s ace, going 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA and a career-low WHIP of 1.03 in 31 starts. He struck out a career-high 206 batters in 185 1/3 innings and allowed only 133 hits. He had eight starts in which he didn't allow an earned run.