The Houston Astros have shared roster news on struggling starter Mike Burrows after getting ace Hunter Brown back in the rotation against the Detroit Tigers.
The Astros are bumping Burrows to the bullpen, per manager Joe Espada, relayed by Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Houston will start Tatsuya Imai, Spencer Arrighetti, and Kai-Wei Teng for a three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians this weekend. Peter Lambert gets the ball for the final game of the series against the Tigers on Wednesday, June 17.
Burrows is tied for the league lead with eight losses. He’s scuffled to a 5.86 ERA across 14 starts in his first season with Houston. The former Pittsburgh Pirates starter has been pounded for 13 earned runs in 15 innings this month.
Houston Astros News Update: Mike Burrows Moved to the Bullpen, Kai-Wei Teng Remains in Rotation
GettyKANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JUNE 13: Mike Burrows #50 of the Houston Astros throws against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 13, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Burrows joined the organization in an offseason trade. The Astros sent prospects Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito to the Tampa Bay Rays in the deal. The Rays parted with Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, and Mason Montgomery, who landed in Pittsburgh. It was a pricey acquisition for Houston, which gave up two highly regarded prospects to engineer the acquisition of Burrows.
The trade came after Burrows delivered 96 innings of a 3.94 ERA in his final season with the Pirates. The right-hander briefly debuted in 2024 before becoming a regular member of Pittsburgh’s rotation last season. Burrows struck out more than a batter per inning while walking just 7.7% of opponents during the 2025 campaign. While the righty made 19 starts last year, he does have experience in the bullpen. Burrows made four relief appearances with Pittsburgh last year.
Brown returned from a shoulder injury on Tuesday, June 16. He hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since March. Brown tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball against the Tigers. He struck out seven and walked three. Brown’s return meant someone had to be bumped from the rotation, with Burrows and Teng the most likely candidates. Teng entered the mix after pitching out of the bullpen to start the season. He’s stumbled to a 4.31 ERA over 54.1 innings. Teng has been hammered for 17 earned runs over three starts in June.
Will Burrows Get Another Shot as a Starter?
Given what it took to acquire him, the Astros will likely give Burrows another look as a starter later this season. Espada hinted at a potential turn to the rotation, calling the move to the bullpen a “breather” for Burrows, per Rome.
Workload is a consideration for the 28-year-old righty. Burrows has only exceeded 100 innings once as a professional. The 96 innings he tossed last season in the majors, plus 32.1 frames at Triple-A, represented a career-high output. Burrows is already up to 78.1 innings this year. He’s well on his way to reaching another career high in 2026. Bumping Burrows to the bullpen will allow the Astros to trim some innings off his workload.
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