With McCullers Jr. Sidelined Astros Look To Brown

Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will likely be shut down for a few weeks.

Luckily for the Houston Astros, they have plenty of depth in their rotation.

Hunter Brown, the Astros’ No. 1-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, could easily step in and fill that role.

“There was a good chance he might have been in (the rotation) in the first place,” manager Dusty Baker told reporters at spring training in West Palm Beach, Fla. “We’re sort of counting on him. … It does create an opportunity, at least a temporary opportunity, for somebody else to shine.”

Last season, the defending World Series champion Astros utilized a six-man rotation at times.

Brown will surely have a chance to prove his mettle at least early in the season.

“I came into camp thinking the opportunity was there to make the rotation regardless,” Brown told reporters. “So, I mean, nothing really changes for the way that I prepare and things like that. If we want to repeat as champions, we’re going to need Lance, and hopefully he can bounce back as soon as possible. I came into camp trying to break the rotation anyway, and that’s exactly what I’m going to try to do.”

The 24-year-old Brown made his Major League debut last September, appearing in seven regular season games, including two starts. He struck out 22, walked seven and gave up two earned runs in 20 1/3 innings. He threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in the postseason as the Astros captured their second World Series title since 2017.

“I saw what it takes to win,” Brown said. “That was the biggest thing -- how to keep a level head in certain situations and how to bounce back from a tough loss in the playoffs like we had. There’s just multiple things that go into that. So many things you can take from it, individual guys or as a team as a whole.”