The Tigers and Astros run it back Tuesday after Detroit ran Houston out of its own building 9-3 in the opener, and the matchup on the mound is the kind you'd circle on the schedule. Framber Valdez (3-5, 4.40) faces the team he spent his whole career with until this winter, and Hunter Brown (1-0, 0.84) is finally back from a Grade 2 shoulder strain that wiped out 2 months of his season.
Brown's last big-league outing was March 31 against Boston — 6 innings, 1 earned, 8 punchouts on 78 pitches — and the rehab numbers say he's ready. He built up to 5 innings at Triple-A Sugar Land, so expect a soft cap of around 80-85 pitches and Joe Espada with a quick hook. Valdez's recent form is a different conversation entirely: 1-2 with a 4.55 ERA over his last 5 starts, including a 5-inning, 4-ER dud against Minnesota on June 10.
That 9-3 Monday beating papered over an ugly stretch in Houston. The Astros dropped 2 of 3 to Kansas City over the weekend, got shut out 4-0 in the finale, and the lineup keeps thinning out — Carlos Correa's done for the year after ankle surgery, LaMonte Wade Jr. is on the IL with a hamstring, and Nick Allen's down with his own hamstring issue. The one piece of good news: Yainer Diaz is expected back from his oblique strain in time for first pitch, which finally gives Espada a real bat behind the plate.
Detroit isn't exactly healthy itself. The rotation is held together with tape — Jack Flaherty (peroneal strain), Casey Mize (adductor) and Reese Olson (labrum, done for the year) are all out, Troy Melton got scratched Monday with back tightness, and Gleyber Torres left the opener with a left-side injury that's worth tracking before lineups drop. A.J. Hinch will need Valdez to go deep because the bullpen ate innings yesterday too.
- Day-To-DayTroy Melton SP — Melton is optimistic about avoiding a stint on the 15-day injured list after being scratched from Monday's scheduled start against Houston due to lower-back tightness, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
- Day-To-DayGleyber Torres 2B — Torres left Monday's game against the Astros with an apparent left side injury, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- Day-To-DayJosue Briceno C — Briceno said Friday that he expects to be sidelined a few months after having surgery Wednesday to repair a tendon in his right wrist, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 15-Day-ILCasey Mize SP — MIze (adductor) won't be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday against the Guardians after the game was postponed due to inclement weather in Cleveland.
- 15-Day-ILJack Flaherty SP — The Tigers placed Flaherty on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left peroneal strain.
- 15-Day-ILBurch Smith RP — Smith (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILJustin Verlander SP — Verlander (hip) threw 66 pitches during a four-inning simulated game Monday, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.
- 60-Day-ILJavier Baez SS — The Tigers transferred Baez (ankle) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayWalker Janek C — Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.
- 10-Day-ILBraden Shewmake SS — The Astros announced Monday that Shewmake (adductor) has taken part in baseball activity and is working his way through a running progression at the team's facility in Florida, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
- 10-Day-ILYainer Diaz C — Diaz (oblique) is expected to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday's game against the Tigers, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILLaMonte Wade Jr. 1B — Wade left Monday's game against the Angels with right hamstring soreness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILNick Allen SS — Allen was removed from Sunday's game against the Athletics due to left hamstring discomfort.
- 15-Day-ILLance McCullers Jr. SP — Astros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that McCullers (shoulder) has resumed throwing off a mound, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILBennett Sousa RP — The Astros announced Friday that Sousa (elbow) has begun a throwing progression, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
- 60-Day-ILCristian Javier SP — Javier (shoulder) didn't make a rehab start Sunday as planned after Triple-A Sugar Land had its game against Sacramento get postponed due to rain, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
The subplot nobody at Daikin Park is going to let go of: Valdez pitching against the only org he's ever known, with the Astros' new ace returning from injury on the other side. Two sub-.500 teams that both expected to be a lot better than this, both desperately needing a series win to stop the slide. Framber's gotten knocked around lately, but if there was ever a start to lock in for, this is the one.