Hunter Brown set for Astros return, will face Tigers’ Framber Valdez

HOUSTON — Aces of the Houston Astros’ past and present will meet on Tuesday night at Daikin Park, beginning a stretch that should define the team’s trade deadline trajectory.

Cy Young Award finalist Hunter Brown will be activated off the injured list to oppose his hometown Detroit Tigers — and former teammate Framber Valdez, who will pitch against the Astros for the first time since leaving the team in free agency this winter.

Brown has not appeared in a major-league game since March 31, when he threw six innings of one-run ball against the Boston Red Sox. Three days later, Brown suffered a Grade 2 right shoulder strain while playing catch.

Brown’s absence left a void the Astros’ pitching staff struggled to fill. After putting Brown on the injured list, Houston lost 17 of its next 22 games, a stretch in which its pitchers posted a 6.55 ERA.

The malaise manufactured a deficit Houston is still trying to overcome. Playing in a pedestrian American League has been a saving grace, but according to FanGraphs, the Astros awoke Sunday with just a 19.4 percent probability of making the postseason.

General manager Dana Brown, who is in the final year of his contract, has shut down any early discussions of a trade deadline selloff. Part of that rationale: awaiting Brown’s return and the reverberations it will have across the entire pitching staff.

Houston entered Sunday with the highest ERA in the American League and has already used 27 pitchers this season. Only the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays have deployed more.

Underwhelming first seasons from offseason acquisitions Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai, coupled with injuries to Cristian Javier and Lance McCullers Jr., left the Astros with little semblance of stability while Brown was sidelined.

Spencer Arrighetti afforded some with a superb showing in May, winning American League Pitcher of the Month while posting a 0.93 ERA in 29 innings. Surprise lifts from converted swingman Kai-Wei Teng and Peter Lambert also helped keep the Astros afloat while Brown recovered.

Now, getting him back is perhaps the final boost for a team nearing full strength. Closer Josh Hader’s return from a bicep injury and Jose Altuve’s quick recovery from an oblique strain have already energized the club this month.

Brown reassuming his role atop the rotation may be the most meaningful addition yet.