Astros beat writer floats intriguing option for team's rotation upon Hunter Brown's return

During spring training, one of the biggest questions facing the Houston Astros was whether or not the club would employ a six-man rotation in 2026. The thought was that the configuration would not only help with Tatsuya Imai's adjustment but also help the Astros manage the collection of intriguing but unproven rotation options behind ace Hunter Brown.

There were concerns regarding playing down a reliever, especially given the hectic nature of Houston's April schedule. Ultimately, the club decided to open with a five-man unit, and then, once things settled down, to promote Spencer Arrighetti and move to a six-man group.

Ironically, Arrighetti has proven to be the Astros' most dominant starter with a 1.32 ERA in the seven starts he's made since getting called up on April 15. At the same time, the plethora of options Houston had to fill the rotation dwindled rapidly, with Hunter Brown's injury serving as the biggest blow.

Now Brown is on the comeback trail, throwing his first rehab start on May 24 in Corpus Christi. His impending return is set to ignite the six-man rotation debate yet again.

Astros insider Chandler Rome points out why a six-man rotation might sense with Hunter Brown

Asked about the team's rotation plans in his mailbag column, Chandler Rome of The Athletic (subscription required) laid out the case as to why a six-man configuration makes the most sense.

The first part of the equation has to do with the three arms that have somewhat stabilized the rotation after an abysmal start. We've already discussed Arrighetti, but the other two who have looked like clear positives have been Kai-Wei Teng and Peter Lambert.

Ironically, even more than Arrighetti, these two were afterthoughts in the race for rotation spots. Teng began the season in the bullpen and excelled with a 1.80 ERA over 13 relief appearances and 20 innings. That allowed him to move into the rotation, something he had wished for, and now, four starts in, he's posted a 2.65 mark as a starter.

Lambert is an even deeper cut. The former Colorado Rockies hurler signed as a minor league free agent after a detour in Japan in 2025, and began his year in Sugar Land. Now, though, he's made seven starts and has a respectable 3.79 ERA.

With Brown back, that's four spots likely accounted for. The next two options are the highest potential options, though they've been the biggest disappointments. That starts with Mike Burrows, whose numbers are ugly, headlined by a 5.75 ERA. But as Rome points out, some of his peripherals indicate he'll bounce back. Burrows has a 4.11 xERA, 4.32 SIERA, and 4.45 xFIP. Not ideal, but decent enough for a back-end arm.

Finally, there's Tatsuya Imai. To say things have been rough would be an understatement, but at the same time, to believe the Astros would pull the plug after just a handful of starts seems unreasonable. Perhaps giving him the extra day of rest can improve his comfort level and unlock his performance, too.

Rome is correct in pointing out that the next month will give us a lot of clarity as to whether or not the six-man path is the correct one. It's going to take about that long for Brown to return, and some of these surprises are relatively small sample sizes. The five existing hurlers should take this as a competition to save their jobs, and if they all show out, they should all keep them once the head of the rotation is back in place.

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