PT TOMORROW: AL WEST—Opportunity Hunter

Houston Astros

Despite the offseason departure of Justin Verlander, MLB's best rotation in 2022 still looks formidable entering spring training, but there are questions. The organizational depth that allowed the club to work with a six-man rotation for much of last year—even with oft-injured Lance McCullers shelved by a strained flexor tendon until mid-August—is no longer apparent, and there's no talk (yet) of a six-man rotation. This means that Hunter Brown (RHP, HOU) might begin 2023 back in Triple-A again for regular work, even though he has nothing left to prove there.

After posting a 2.55 ERA (134/45 K/BB) at AAA-Sugar Land, Brown's brief MLB 2022 debut in a swing-man role couldn't have gone much better (20 IP, two runs allowed,...

Almost!

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