Gordon struck out five and allowed three earned runs on four hits and one walk across 2.2 innings out of the bullpen in Saturday's 7-5 loss to the Cardinals.
Earlier in the week, Houston recalled Gordon from Triple-A Sugar Land and plugged him into a rotation that had recently lost all of Hunter Brown (shoulder), Cristian Javier (shoulder), Tatsuya Imai (arm) and Cody Bolton (back) to the injured list. Gordon was lit up for four earned runs on eight hits across 3.2 innings while taking a no-decision Tuesday in Houston's 7-6 win over Colorado, and the poor showing as a starter followed by the extended relief appearance looks like it will at least temporarily keep the left-hander from receiving additional turns through the rotation. Ryan Weiss and Peter Lambert would now appear to be the likely candidates to fill out the final two spots in the Houston rotation, which could be scaled back from six men to five during the upcoming week with an off day looming Thursday.
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Astros' Cristian Javier: Out through late May
Rotowire
Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Javier (shoulder) isn't expected to return from the 15-day injured list until late May or early June, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. "Hopefully it could be a little sooner."
Hunter Brown is facing a similar timeline for a return after he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain April 5 before Javier went down with the exact same injury in his start three days later. Javier remains in the midst of a no-throw program and is expected to be re-evaluated later on during the upcoming week before the Astros decide on his next steps. Even if Javier gets the green light to start playing catch following his re-evaluation, he looks like he'll require at least a month to get fully stretched back out. A more definitive target date for Javier's return won't become clear until he's ready to head out on what will likely be a multi-start minor-league rehab assignment.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Out through late May
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Astros general manager Dana Brown said Sunday that Brown (shoulder) isn't expected to return from the 15-day injured list until late May or early June, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. "Hopefully it could be a little sooner."
Cristian Javier is facing a similar timeline for a return after both he and Brown sustained Grade 2 right shoulder strains within less than a week of one another. Shortly after Brown was diagnosed with the injury April 5, the Astros indicated that the right-hander would be shut down from throwing for two weeks before being re-evaluated, so he could be cleared to start playing light catch at some point in the coming days. Even so, Brown will be in line for a lengthy buildup, and a more definitive target date for his return won't become clear until he's ready to head out on what will likely be a multi-start minor-league rehab assignment.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Has Grade 2 shoulder strain
Rotowire
Brown has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right shoulder strain and will be shut down from throwing "for a few weeks."
Brown will have to get built back up following the shutdown period, so he is looking at a lengthy absence even if he doesn't encounter any setbacks. The right-hander had gotten off to an excellent start this season before getting hurt, yielding just one run with a 17:6 K:BB over 10.2 innings covering two outings.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Lands on IL with shoulder strain
Rotowire
The Astros placed Brown on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right shoulder strain.
The right-hander presumably sustained the injury during his previous start versus Boston on Tuesday, when he picked up his first win of the season after striking out eight and giving up one run on a hit and two walks over six innings. Brown will be eligible to be reinstated in mid-April, but it wouldn't be surprising if a shoulder issue necessitates a longer absence. The loss of Brown is a huge loss to the Astros and fantasy managers after the right-hander opened the campaign in dominant form, allowing just one run with a 17:6 K:BB in his first two starts.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Strikes out eight in win Tuesday
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Brown (1-0) earned the win against the Red Sox on Tuesday, allowing one run on one hit and two walks while striking out eight across six innings.
After throwing 102 pitches across 4.2 innings Thursday against the Angels, Brown made quick work of the Boston lineup Tuesday and was pulled after 78 pitches with a 6-1 lead. Brown looks like he's ready to take another step forward in his fourth full season at the big-league level. Through two starts and 10.2 innings, Brown has 17 strikeouts and a 0.84 ERA. Brown is next scheduled to take the mound Monday against the Rockies at Coors Field.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Logs another quality start
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Brown (12-7) earned the win against Atlanta on Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk while striking out two across 6.2 innings.
Brown started out strongly by retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced and was supplied a six-run cushion by his offense. He punched out a season-low two batter but came away with his seventh quality start in eight games, and his 20 quality starts this season is tied for second most in the majors behind Cristopher Sanchez (21). Brown also ranks third among qualified starters with a 2.27 ERA (across 174.1 innings), and his 192 strikeouts are tied with Sanchez for eighth most. Brown is lined up to face the Mariners at home next weekend.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: No support in loss
Rotowire
Brown (10-7) took the loss Sunday against the Angels, allowing one run on three hits and three walks across six innings. He struck out five.
Brown notched a fourth straight quality start -- a streak that includes a six-run (two earned) outing against the Rockies in Houston -- but the Astros offense failed to scrape across a run, leaving him with the loss. Brown has been excellent lately, boasting a 1.71 ERA and a 38:13 K:BB in 42.2 innings across his last seven starts. He's tentatively scheduled to face the Rangers in his next start.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: No-decision in pitchers' duel
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Brown came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 1-0 extra-inning loss to the Tigers, allowing five hits and three walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out six.
Matched up against fellow AL Cy Young contender Tarik Skubal, Brown rose to the occasion as both aces posted goose eggs, with the game's only run crossing the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning. The right-hander produced his 16th quality start of the season on 101 pitches (61 strikes), and Brown has given up two runs or fewer in five straight trips to the mound, posting a 1.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB in 30 innings over that stretch. He'll look for more run support in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home early next week against the Rockies.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Fires 6.2 strong innings in win
Rotowire
Brown (10-5) earned the win Wednesday against the Red Sox, allowing one run on six hits and three walks in 6.2 innings. He struck out four.
It was another strong performance from the All-Star right-hander, who pitched at least five innings while yielding two runs or fewer for a fourth consecutive start. While the four punchouts tied for his second-lowest total of the year, Brown is now up to 10 outings of at least six frames while surrendering one run or no runs in 2025. Brown will take an excellent 2.45 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 164:43 K:BB over 143 frames into his next scheduled appearance, which is likely to come in Detroit against the first-place Tigers.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Stumbles late in no-decision
Rotowire
Brown did not factor into the decision in Friday's 5-3 extra-inning win over the Yankees, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts over 5.1 innings.
Brown cruised through five scoreless innings before allowing four baserunners and two runs in the sixth, exiting in a 2-2 tie after 89 pitches. The right-hander has surrendered just seven earned runs over four outings since the All-Star break, but he's logged only one quality start during a six-game winless streak. Even so, he still ranks in the top 10 among qualified starters in ERA (2.51), WHIP (0.98) and strikeouts (160) across 136.1 innings. Brown will try to get back in the win column in a home matchup with the Red Sox next week.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Tagged with tough loss
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Brown (9-5) took the loss against the Athletics on Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five across five innings.
Brown entered Saturday's game with a 7.80 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 15 innings over his prior three starts. He was much better against the Athletics, but despite giving up just one run on a Brent Rooker double in the first inning, Brown still came away with the loss as the Astros struggled to generate offense. Brown is lined up to face the Red Sox at Fenway Park next weekend, when he'll look to get back in the win column for the first time since July 2.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Lasts just four innings
Rotowire
Brown didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the Mariners, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts across four innings.
Brown didn't pitch into the fifth inning for the first time this season, continuing his recent stretch of poor play. In his last three starts, Brown has allowed 13 runs with an 18:7 K:BB across 15 innings. He had allowed 21 runs in his first 104 innings of the season. Overall, he has a 2.57 ERA and a 144:36 K:BB. He'll look to get back on track during his next start, which is slated to come against the Athletics.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Another sub-standard start
Rotowire
Brown (9-4) took the loss Sunday against Texas, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out eight.
Brown has allowed four or more runs in back-to-back starts -- something he had done just once in his first 17 appearances of 2025. Four of the five hits he surrendered Sunday went for extra bases. He'll look to rebound after the All-Star break, but even with the cold spell, Brown owns a stellar 2.43 ERA and a 137:34 K:BB across 115 innings.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Splendid work continues in Colorado
Rotowire
Brown (9-3) recorded the win Wednesday against the Rockies, giving up two runs on six hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out eight.
The damage came on a Mickey Moniak two-run shot in the second inning, but Brown conceded five innocuous singles otherwise. The right-hander registered a strong 17 whiffs on the evening, and he also fired at least six frames while surrendering two runs or fewer for the 12th time already this season. Brown will take an exceptional 1.82 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 126:29 K:BB across 104 innings into what sets up as a favorable home matchup versus the struggling Guardians, who have a .594 OPS over their last 24 games.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Goes seven scoreless in no-decision
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Brown did not factor into the decision in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Phillies, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out nine over seven scoreless innings.
Brown exited with a 1-0 lead after generating 16 whiffs on 96 pitches and allowing just one hard-hit ball. Despite giving up only four earned runs across five June outings, he'll finish the month with just one win to show for it. The 26-year-old leads the majors with a 1.74 ERA among qualified starters, along with a 0.89 WHIP and 118:28 K:BB across 98 innings. He's slated for a road matchup with the Rockies next week.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Stumbles vs. Tampa
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Brown (6-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Rays, allowing five runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four.
Brown hadn't allowed more than three earned runs in a start this year prior to Wednesday's outing. The Rays would score two runs on three hits in the first inning before Brown, who had only allowed two homers in his first nine starts, gave up a solo shot to Curtis Mead in the fourth, followed by back-to-back homers off the bats of Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe in the fifth. Despite the hiccup, the 26-year-old Brown still boasts an impressive 2.04 ERA with a 0.91 WHIP and 71:16 K:BB through 61.2 innings this season. He'll look to get back on track in his next outing, tentatively scheduled for next week at home against the A's.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Goes distance in narrow loss
Rotowire
Brown (6-2) pitched a complete game despite taking the loss versus the Rangers on Thursday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out nine without walking a batter over eight innings.
Brown started with four perfect innings before giving up a double to Adolis Garcia in the fifth. Brown also allowed a solo shot to Jake Burger in the sixth, which was the lone run of the game. This was the fifth start in a row with exactly nine strikeouts for Brown, who continues to be superb. He's allowed one run or fewer in six of nine starts, and he's logged eight quality starts on the year. The 26-year-old is now at a 1.43 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 67:14 K:BB over 56.2 innings.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Nine strikeouts in sixth win
Rotowire
Brown (6-1) earned the win Friday in a 3-0 win over the Reds, pitching 5.2 shutout innings while giving up two hits and four walks and striking out nine batters.
Although he fell just one out short of collecting his eighth consecutive quality start to begin the season, Brown still put on a brilliant performance Friday. He reached nine strikeouts for the fourth time in a row and allowed the Reds to put a runner in scoring position only twice. With five consecutive wins and a sparkling 1.48 ERA, Brown has plenty of momentum behind him heading into his next start -- tentatively scheduled to come against the Royals on Wednesday.
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Astros' Hunter Brown: Strikes out nine in win
Rotowire
Brown (4-1) earned the win against the Royals on Sunday, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings.
Brown's 28-inning scoreless streak came to an end in the fifth inning, but he still cruised to his sixth straight quality start to open the season. The 26-year-old threw 66 of 100 pitches for strikes, generating 12 whiffs and matching a season-high nine punchouts. He'll take a stellar 1.22 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 40:7 K:BB across 37 innings into a favorable matchup with the White Sox next weekend.
